A developer who’s pitching a plan for preservation, stores and apartments on Main Road in Mattituck expressed his frustration at a Southold Town board work session today.
Paul Pawlowski is seeking a zone change from the 20.8 parcel’s current residential, or R-80 zone, to general business; the land is located across from the former Capitol One building on Main Road. The plan involves developing 3.5 acres of the 21 acre parcel, donating the remaining 17.5 acres to the town, as preserved land.
Next, Pawlowski proposes five individual buildings, totaling 14,000 square feet. Four of those will be 2,000 square feet and one, 6,000 square feet, all in a “campus style” with each building separate and green space and landscaping between each structure.
“This will naturally protect the town from ‘strip malls or large box companies,’ as some have voiced concerns about. This type of development is not my intention. This location will not be a site for ’24-hour stores or gas stations’ and I am willing to put this in a covenant,” he wrote in a letter to SoutholdLOCAL in June.
In addition, Pawlowski has propose 12 residential apartments, to be built above the retail locations.
At today’s work session, Southold Town Supervisor Scott Russell said he had questions that needed to be answered, including whether the 12 apartments could be monitored under the oversight of the town’s affordable housing commission, as well as if the town’s department of public works would be able to add management of another 17 acres of open space to its list of duties.
Russell said he’d like answers to his questions before a public hearing; he said he’d also like to speak to the assessors. In addition, the supervisor said Pawlowski needs to sit down with Chief Building Inspector Mike Verity, for a presubmission conference, as well as with the planning board.
A question was posed by Councilwoman Jill Doherty about whether the issue would become one of spot zoning if the specific proposal was discussed during the zone change hearing.
There are a number of issues that cannot be addressed in the public hearing, Russell said. He said he’d like to have Pawlowski, an applicant, removed from the process at this point; the town, he said, has “work to do. It’s about what the Southold Town needs from the plan, not what he’s willing to do. It’s not an auction.” Fact finding, the supervisor said, must ensue; he said he’d like the planning board to coordinate with the building department.
Pawlowski said he was “confused” and took his “marching orders” from the town in February, spending the months since adhering to direction from the planning board. “It’s been six months and everything you’ve said has been executed and done. I’m in complete and utter shock that this is where we’re at.”
“It’s a change of zone,” Russell reminded.
“I respect that it’s a change of zone in a small town but I’ve worked extremely hard for six months just to set a public hearing,” Pawlowski said.
Doherty said she thought the questions could be answered at the public hearing; Dinizio agreed and said if there were any questions at the hearing, the hearing could be left open.
The town board agreed to set a public hearing tonight on the proposal.
