The Southold planning board continued to vet a proposal by a local property owner for a zone change on a parcel located on Main Road in Mattituck that could lead to the development of new businesses and some apartments.
Last month, Paul Pawlowski came before the Southold planning board at their work session to discuss a change of zone from the parcel’s current residential, or R-80, 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, he said.
This week, the planning board discussed the issue; the town board is seeking comments from planning.
According to the planning board, Pawlowski hopes to create five buildings, which feature 12 second-story accessory apartments, each with two 1000-square foot bedrooms.
New to the plan is a public pavilion in the back of the area.
Planning board chair Donald Wilcenski reminded that Pawlowski has offered to help with parking issues and offered up parking for Asian Fusion.
Wilcenski said he’d like to see a pedestrian connection, not necessarily cars, between the parcels.
“He offered up parking because that corner is tough, where Tony’s Asian Fusion is,” Wilcenski said.
The board also discussed uses that would not be supported on the site, due to concerns over increased traffic.
Wilcenski said, for example, a fast food restaurant, for example, might not be a good fit for the apartments above.
“We don’t want a big box store,” Wilcenski said; the plan calls for a number of smaller stores.
The planning board also said 24-hour stores would not be a good plan.
On the whole, Wilcenski said he thinks Pawlowksi has presented “a great concept.”
Principal planner Mark Terry agreed, and said the proposal meets many of the goals in the town’s comprehensive plan, including the fact that it’s a mixed use development, with a park included, and integrated accessory apartments.
Planning board member member James Rich noted that the proposal increased slightly from 12,000 to 14,000 square feet; the property owner still plans to dedicate 17 acres to the town.
Another question discussed was who would maintain that land, if the town did not accept the land; in that case, the developer would be responsible for the parcel’s maintenance.
Terry said the town wasn’t the only “player” to accept the parcel, with “bonafide conservatory operations” that could take it.
Should the town accept the land, one use might be much-needed soccer fields, trails — or even a new dog park in Mattituck, Wilcenski said.
Last month,Pawlowski said he wanted to garner planning board input about the idea or rezoning.
“The main reason is because it seems like it’s a mistake that the road frontage is zoned R-80,” he said, adding that he lives in Mattituck and the property “sit’s in no man’s land” in a transitional area between the business corridor and the Laurel Links area further west.
The zone change, he said, would seem to be a natural fit for the area. “Our goal is to be conforming,” Pawlowski said.
His vision would be for a “campus style business location,” that would have curb appeal and “never look like a strip mall.”
Pawlowski said by no means would he look to maximize density; he would incorporate large, green buffers into the design, as well as proper parking setbacks.
The plan would be to site incorporate general business with mixed use, businesses on the first floor and apartments on the second. Although the apartments would be rented at market value, as rentals, they would be affordable, he said.
Each apartment would be one or two bedroom unit, Pawlowski said.
“It seems like the perfect piece of property if the town needs to expand,” he added, stating that very few parcels remained in Mattituck for development.
Parking spaces would be “sizable”, he said, adding that businesses on the parcel would not compete with those on Love Lane. “As a resident, I respect that,” Pawlowski said.
Wilcenski said the idea of apartments was “intriguing”; Pawlowski said a prior proposal for affordable housing at the site was no longer on the table. He added that neighbors in the area would be happy to have the land on the back of the property undeveloped.
The planning board agreed to put their thoughts into writing for the town board’s review.
