The Southold Town town and planning boards will put their heads together today to discuss a proposal for a zone change on Main Road in Mattituck.
The meeting takes place today at 9:30 a.m. in the Town Hall meeting room.
The plans have been pitched by developer Paul Pawlowski, who’s proposed a zone change on a parcel located on Main Road in Mattituck that could lead to the development of new businesses and some affordable apartments.
The zone change request by Pawlowski involves a change from the 20.8 parcel’s current residential, or R-80 zone, to general business. The land is located close to Main Road, across from the Capitol One building, near Tony’s Asian Fusion in Mattituck. The proposal would be to develop the 3.78 acres that fronts Route 25 and donate the remaining 17 acres to Southold Town for preservation.
According to the planning board, Pawlowski hopes to create five buildings, which feature 12 second-story, afforable accessory apartments, each with two bedrooms. Also included in the plan is an open public pavilion in the back of the area.
Supervisor Scott Russell recently suggested that a joint meeting of the town board and planning board could be held to discuss the proposal. The planning board, he said, is concerned that a change of zone might allow more intense commercial uses on the parcel than currently exist in the vicinity.
Other residents, said Mary Eisenstein of the Mattituck-Laurel Civic Association, have said they are worried that shops discussed for the proposal, including a fish or cheese shop, could compete with already existing businesses in town.
Pawlowski was a featured guest at a previous MCLA meeting, where he gave a presentation on his proposal and answered questions posed by the many in attendance. A previous proposal by Pawlowski for the site, which was centered on affordable housing, was scrapped in favor of the current plan.
Russell said while zone changes are a function of the town board, the board looks to the planning board for input. If the board should decide to move forward with the application, the matter would be subject to a public hearing, with ample opportunity for the public to weigh in, Russell said.
“There has been no decision of the town board to move forward,” the supervisor said. “This joint meeting is being held to thoughtfully consider the pros and cons.”
Meanwhile, the MCLA will focus on land use in Mattituck at their next meeting, to be held on June 24, from 6:30 to 9 p.m. at the American Legion Hall located at the corner of Wickham and Pike in Mattituck, will focus on land use.
The session, called “What do you want the entrance to Mattituck to look like?” will feature guest speaker Bill Toedter, president of the North Fork Environmental Council, as well as Southold Town Planning Director Heather Lanza, Principal Planner Mark Terry, and zoning board chairperson Leslie Kanes Weisman. Town officials will explain current zoning and guests are invited to ask questions and share concerns.
“Different land use decisions and types of land use can have a multitude of effects on the environment and community,” an announcement by MLCA said. Toedter is slated to discuss issues the NFEC and other groups consider when looking at proposed projects.
According to the MLCA, some issues the group is following include the Main Road development proposal requesting a zoning change from commercial to residential; the Southold Town’s proposed short-term rental code and enforcement; gathering input regarding the Old Sound Avenue reconfiguration proposal; a Pike Street proposal seeking a town zoning variance; and whether or not the town is following its land use plan.
