Commenting on the purchase of the Lake Grove School property, Lesko said, “Preserving open space and protecting the Carmans River Watershed are top priorities of my administration.  this purchase is another vital piece of the puzzle which is to continue to work towards preserving and restorying the beauty and health of the river.”

Thousands of acres in the Carmans River Corridor are currently in protective status and Kepert has been working hard to insure that additional high-priority parcels are acquired and preserved.  “The acquisition of the 31 acre Lake Grove School property is an important addition to the preserved parcels in the corridor,” Kepert said.  Several thousand species of plants and animals inhabit the aquatic wetlands, and woodlands which comprise the Carmans River Watershed. “It is the jewel of Brookhaven and the town is committed to its protection,” said Kepert.  For more information about the Carmans River Watershed Protection Plan, visit www.brookhaven.org.


Middle Island plan should make for a great future

Equal Time

BY CONSTANCE KEPERT, August 20th, 2010

I read with interest county Legislator Ed Romaine's analysis, published in last week's Sun, of the Middle Country Road Land Use Plan. Although I am sure his intensions are noble, the figures provided to the legislator were, unfortunately, faulty. In the Generic Environmental Impact Statement completed for the corridor, the deficiencies in the economic analysis on which Mr. Romaine based his analysis were later corrected.

The bloated numbers occurred for two reasons. First, to evaluate the 30-year build-out within the confines of the existing zoning, all the land within the corridor, as well as all split-zoned business properties, were grouped. As per the August 2003 Town Code amendments, split-zoned properties, which include business properties, revert to residential categories, which do not contribute to additional retail square footage in the corridor. Additionally, the mathematical models were so broad that they did not account for lot constraints. Small slivers of lots that could never be built on were included in the bloated figures. All of these errors were corrected in the Environmental Impact Statement.

Using the figures included in the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Middle Country Road Land Use Plan, the proposed development within the entire area of study is estimated to be 1,970,926 square feet. This represents a substantial decrease from the 5,504,958 square feet of development cited in the legislator's column.

The Middle Country Road Land Use Plan is a plan for the redevelopment of a blighted and long-forgotten corridor.

Based on the actual analysis contained in the EIS, our planning professionals anticipate an 11 percent decrease in total building area over the projected 30-year build-out, in conformance with the recommendations of the land use plan as opposed to full build-out under the existing zoning.

To counter the negative effects of sprawl, Brookhaven Town is actively engaged in both upzonings, that is rezoning to less intensive uses, and acquisitions. A total of 1,728 acres have already been rezoned to less intensive uses. Additionally, the town is currently engaged in a third phase of rezonings, focusing on the transition areas to further reduce the amount of retail zoning available outside of the hamlet centers.

Actual development under existing zoning within the study area has been substantially reduced through the acquisition of significant open space parcels, including the AVR piece in Ridge, consisting of 397 acres of mature forests and pine barrens. Since the adoption of the Middle Country Road Land Use Plan in 2006, the Town Board has voted to preserve nearly 700 acres of land within the study area.

Pine Barrens: Besides the upzonings and acquisitions to date, all projects developed, approved or under review comply with all Pine Barrens standards.

Wetlands: Great care is taken to review any project in proximity to wetlands or any other environmentally sensitive area. Mitigations, such as large and extensive buffers and tunnels under roadways, have been put in place to protect habitat and the potential return of species.

Transportation Analysis: As previously stated, the yield calculations used by the legislator last week were unfortunately inaccurate. Secondly, the land use plan proposes compact hamlet centers, with alternate roadway configurations, in order to relieve pressure at existing intersections. This concept has been supported not only by smart growth advocates, but by the state DOT. To date, a portion of roadway that will relieve congestion at the intersection of Routes 112 and 25 in Coram has been constructed. An alternate access to CR-21 from Route 25 is a part of the Sandy Hills proposal in Middle Island.

In addition, the hamlet centers identified in the land use plan support mixed-use development, which in turn provides for increased pedestrian activity and reduced vehicle miles traveled. This simply means that even when people have to get into their cars their trips are shorter, thus reducing both congestion and the environmental impact of our cars.

Currently, residents of the corridor must drive upwards of 30 minutes to reach basic retail services.

Infrastructure costs: Costs are not associated with the economic analysis in that infrastructure improvements will be realized as a result of the development of projects within the corridor and will be the responsibility of the developers as part of the mitigation for their individual projects.

Multi-family housing: The land use plan provides specific recommendations for the limited growth of multi-family housing in close proximity to the hamlet centers.

If no action is taken, the proportion of residential use in Middle Island will change significantly. Build-out measures suggest that under current zoning, Middle Island will see a 15 percent drop in the commercial sector and a 15 percent increase in the residential sector by 2035. Obviously, those advocating the status quo need to understand that such non-action will increase the tax burdens of local residents.

Residential vs. commercial development: The actual development under existing zoning within the study area is substantially reduced due to the town's aggressive acquisition of significant open spaces, including the significant acquisitions in the Overton Preserve area and the 300-plus acres of AVR property in Ridge.

Conclusion: The Middle Country Road Land Use Plan is a plan for the redevelopment of a blighted and long-forgotten corridor. It recommends the construction of compact pedestrian-oriented centers, with alternative access, limiting vehicle curb cuts and reducing strip commercial sprawl within transitional areas. Local community organizations, the people who live in the area, do not want business as usual. They do not want more of the same. They want the building of vibrant, focused places -- places that will reduce traffic impacts, not exasperate them, and will entice our young people to remain on Long Island and places they can go to shop in their own community. And that is what implementation of the Middle Country Road Land Use Plan gives them.

Ms. Kepert is a Democratic Brookhaven Town councilwoman whose district encompasses all of Middle Island.

 

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Dogs’ Day at the Beach

Brookhaven Town Councilwoman plays with surfer dog at the recent Beach Day event at the Middle Island Dog Park.  The event was organized by Ms. Kepert, the Parks Department, and the Dog Park Committee. - North Shore Sun - 8/27/10

Brand-new Mott House on the way

Historic building collapsed last September

BY JENNIFER GUSTAVSON |STAFF WRITER

A familiar door will soon be ready to open once again at the corner of Homestead Avenue and Middle Country Road in Coram.

The original four-panel wooden door that once served as the entrance to the historic Mott House was salvaged from the wreckage after the building's collapse last September.

And as that first anniversary approaches, plans to reconstruct the building as a new community center are close to fruition. The town is just awaiting sidewalk approvals from the state Department of Transportation.

"Once we get that approval, the town is ready to press the print button for the building permits," said Chris Dwyer, an associate at L.K. McLean Associates, an engineering consulting firm in Brookhaven. He said construction should take about four to five months to complete.

The new building will not be a replica, said Councilwoman Connie Kepert (D-Middle Island), who represents the district. Instead, the new plans will incorporate some of the features of the Mott House, such as transom front windows and a porch.

The old building could not accommodate the groups that wanted to meet there, including the Greater Gordon Heights Chamber of Commerce, which will be working out of the new center once it's finished.

The Rev. Edward Christian, member of the Greater Gordon Heights Chamber of Commerce, said he couldn't comment on the plans because his group wasn't included in the planning process.

"We're very disappointed," he said of not being involved. However, members will be pleased with the project as long as the plan "doesn't interfere with distinguishing office space, a community room and a conference area," Mr. Christian said.

Ms. Kepert said the role of the chamber will "come when the project is finished."

Since the new building's primary function will be community use, it will only have one floor and include a full basement for storage (the original building had two stories). However, it will appear to be a two-story building since it will have high ceilings with outer walls accommodating traditional windows that will give the appearance of a second floor from outside.

"It will appear to have two stories, but will function" as a one-floor building, Mr. Dwyer said, and will have a "traditional look" through "conventional construction."

The overall cost of the project is $370,000, with the town picking up $150,000 of the bill. The balance, mostly labor costs, is being donated by the Long Island Builders Institute.

"It's easier to start with a clean slate," Mr. Dwyer said.

The Mott House collapsed while workers hired by the town were cleaning the property. It was built on stones laid in the ground in 1824 on land originally owned by William C. Howell. The original parcel where it was located consisted of 30 acres of land. Seaman Albert Mott and his wife, Joanna, lived in the house with their seven children, according to the 1870 U.S. Census.

Before the Mott House collapsed, it was inhabited by wildlife and had fallen into a state of disrepair -- a trumpet vine had wrapped itself around the chimney, and the cabinets, which once stored the belongings of the Mott family, were inhabited by pests.

Old photographs were the main guide to the planning process, Mr. Dwyer said. He also visited a home on Carlton Avenue in East Setauket, which is similar to the Mott House, to use as a reference.

The flooring will include wide-plank Southern pine (a type of wood that is a shade of yellow) and the walls will have wainscoting and chair rails, Mr. Dwyer said.

He added that there will be two offices, as well as a kitchen area, and the main meeting room will include a faux fireplace.

While construction will be cheaper than if the town had restored the Mott House prior to its demise, Ms. Kepert said the savings isn't a positive.

"I don't think it's a plus when we lose a historic building," she said. "We're trying to make the best of a very difficult circumstance here."


Town: Trash biz was run out of home

Code enforcers shut down dumpster operation in Ridge neighborhood BY PEGGY SPELLMAN HOEY -North Shore Sun

An allegedly illegal dumpster business that was operating on Whiskey Road in Ridge was shut down recently.  Brookhaven Town investigators have shut down a dumpster business they say was operating illegally out of a residential neighborhood in Ridge.

Officials looked into the matter at 654 Whiskey Road after receiving tips about several overweight vehicles, outdoor storage containers, scattered debris, piles of tires and other illegal structures, authorities said. As a result, the property owner was issued 21 tickets and is scheduled to appear in Brookhaven's Community Court at a later date, authorities said.

"The swift action taken by our Quality of Life Task Force sends a strong message to those who break the law that we will not tolerate illegal activity anywhere in our town," said Brookhaven Supervisor Mark Lesko. "I commend our investigators for their hard work and the law-abiding residents who were vigilant and called in to report the alleged violations."

Brookhaven Councilwoman Connie Kepert, whose district includes parts of Ridge, called it unfortunate that some members of society "have no problem destroying the fabric of an entire neighborhood for profit."

"When an unscrupulous business person operates illegally in Brookhaven they will have to deal with our Quality of Life Task Force," Ms. Kepert said.  Residents who believe that a property owner is in violation of town code can file a complaint with the law department at 451-6500.

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