Planning Board Sets Thursday for Special Meeting on Indian Hills

Updated and date corrected: The Huntington Planning Board has scheduled a special meeting for THURSDAY morning on the controversial Preserve at Indian Hills project. 

The Northwind Group wants to put 98 townhouses for residents 55 and up in three separate areas of the 145-acre Indian Hills Country Club, on the Long Island Sound at Breeze Hill Road and Fresh Pond Road.

Northwind said the project would preserve 132 of 153 acres, including the golf course.

A notice on the town website said the “purpose of the special meeting is to consider the Preserve at Indians Hills preliminary subdivision public hearing schedule.” NOTE: The town site originally said the meeting was Wednesday, Oct. 10. It is Thursday, not Wednesday.

The town said that there are two parts of The Preserve at Indian Hills application happening concurrently: one part is the DEIS public comment period ending October 18, which follows guidelines established by NYS DEC SEQRA laws; the other part is the cluster subdivision development, which follows the guidelines established by NYS Town Law Sections 276 and 278.

The SEQRA requirement considering the DEIS and the Preliminary Subdivision hearing usually occur together as one public hearing. In this case, the process has been extended, having two public hearings on separate days – the public hearing on the DEIS was held on September 18 with the public comment period ending October 18 and the Preliminary Subdivision public hearing will occur at a later date – expanding the opportunity for public participation.

Once The Preserve at Indians Hills has been scheduled for a Preliminary Subdivision public hearing pursuant to Sections 276 and 278 of New York State Town Law, the Town will publicize the hearing date, and the Long Islander and The Observer will advertise the Legal Notice for two (2) consecutive weeks prior to the hearing date. 

Sections 276 and 278 of New York State Town Law do not require Planning Board action to schedule the Preliminary Subdivision public hearing however, due to high public interest in this project, the Planning Board has scheduled the Thursday, October 10 meeting to consider the Preliminary Subdivision public hearing schedule the ensure the public is fully aware of the process.

The public hearing, once scheduled, will be held in the Town Board Hearing Room, Huntington Town Hall, 100 Main Street, Huntington, New York. Interested persons may attend and will have an opportunity to be heard on the proposed cluster subdivision development. 

The Fort Salonga Property Owners Association has been fighting the project on several grounds, including zoning and environmental impact. 

At a heated Planning Board meeting on Sept. 18, opponents of the project who shouted out at board members were threatened with ejection, as were those who tried to speak longer than their allotted time, which the audience also challenged. A handful of people spoke in favor of the project, citing the benefits to the tax base.

Residents are fighting the project on the basis of traffic, environmental concerns, legality of zoning rules for the area, and potential harm to the value of their homes. 

Thursday’s meeting is scheduled for 10:30 a.m.

Video of Indian Hills Hearing

 

Impact Statement for Indian Hills Project Posted on Town Website

 

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