Greater Huntington Civic Group Files Appeal To Stop Avalon Bay Housing Development

Greater Huntington Civic Group President Steven Spucces announced today that an appeal has been filed in the Appellate Division of the State Supreme Court in a bid to overturn a judge’s November 19, 2012 decision to deny the merits of the Group’s original lawsuit. The suit is aimed at stopping Avalon Bay Communities, Inc. from developing a 379-unit high-density housing complex south of the Huntington Rail Road Station.

The appeal was filed by Ed Yule, Esq. of Northport, New York, an attorney for the Group. The Greater Huntington Civic Group asserts that the spot zoning approved by the Huntington Town Board for the project is inconsistent with the “Horizons 2020” comprehensive plan adopted by the Board in December 2008. Furthermore, at 14.5 units per acre, the revised zoning far exceeds the density of the surrounding community, including any other multi-family dwellings. The property was originally zoned for 109 single-family homes.

“The November 19 decision was simply one judge’s opinion,” said Steven Spucces, president of the Group. “We are disputing his interpretation of the facts presented in the lawsuit.”

The Group also maintains that the Avalon Bay project violates SEQRA, the State Environmental Quality Review Act, which requires that an environmental impact review be completed to assess the impact of such rezoning on traffic, sewage, soil, open space preservation, and more. The review was never carried out before Town approval was given.

“We’re already seeing the devastating effects of a lack of environmental impact review. The recent upheaval of the property’s soil has released plumes of untold toxins into the air,” said Mr. Spucces. Members of the Group have reported that fallout from the disturbance of the soil has settled on nearby homes and businesses, including the Huntington Farms community.

“It’s time for the Town to focus on preserving the quality of life that drew many of us to Huntington in the first place: well-maintained homes in safe neighborhoods and a respect for the Town’s history and diverse cultures,” said Mr. Spucces. “The time to stop the slippery slope of over-development is now. Otherwise, the Town as we knew it will be gone forever.”