The Southold Town board discussed plans today put forth by a developer 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.
But Councilman James Dinizio felt Pawlowski should submit his application first to the town’s building inspector Mike Verity with an eye toward process.
The town board discussed a change of zone request by Pawlowski 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.
The board discussed covenants and restrictions to ensure the affordable apartments remained in the plan; Town Attorney William Dufy said you can’t condition a zone change on specific plans.
Southold Town Supervisor Scott Russell suggested possibly a separate meeting of the town board and planning board could be held. The planning board, he said, had expressed some concerns that the commercial uses might be more intense than other parcels in that vicinity; they have said that no box stores, convenience stores or gas stations would be desirable. However, he said, if a parcel is zoned general business, those uses might be allowed.
“The planning board raised issues and we need to figure out how to address them,” Russell said.
While the board agreed that affordable apartments are “desperately needed” in Southold, Dinizio said Mattituck bears “the brunt of affordable housing” in town. Russell said the preservation of the parcel would align with the town’s goals.
Justice Louisa Evans said it sounded like a good project but zone changes should not be based on a single proposal.
Dinizio said he’d like Pawlowski to submit his application to the building inspector, so Verity could explain why the project was not allowed under current zoning. It’s Verity’s job to make that determination, he said, with an eye toward policy and procedure.
The board agreed to direct the applicant to Verity “and we’ll take it from there,” Russell said.
At a previous planning board work session, 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, 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 had featured integrated accessory apartments.
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.
In February, 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 “sits 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 a 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.
Pawloski will also address the Mattituck-Laurel Civic Association on Wednesday, April 29, from 6:30 to 9 p.m. at the Mattituck Firehouse, located at 1000 Pike Street.
At the meeting, Pawloski is slated to discuss and answer questions about his plan, according to Mary Eisenstein, MLCA president.
