RENAISSANCE COMMITTEE ASKS & GETS A MORATORIUM ON DEVELOPMENT

In December, 2002, several members of the Middle Country Road Renaissance Project met with Town officials in both a private meeting and at the public Town Council meeting to request a moratorium on construction and modifications of buildings along Middle Country Road in Coram and Middle Island. The request was made in light of the fact that the Montauk Highway project in Mastic had requested and received a moratorium along the Montauk Highway corridor, and that several projects have gone before the Planning Board, ZBA, and Town Council and been approved without input from the Renaissance Project. To find more about the request, please see the Memo sent regarding the moratorium.

The Town Council approved the moratorium in July, 2003, for a period of six months. The moratorium can be renewed at the end of that time.

The effect of the moratorium is to enable the Town to guide development towards the visions established by the community for Coram and Middle Island, by keeping The Renaissance Project informed and involved in plans. The Renaissance Project is the civic group working with the Town to make the various visions a reality. Developers must request a hardship waiver delineating reasons the Town should permit development while the moratorium is in effect. Following review by the Renaissance Project, Planning Department and Planning Board, the waiver can only be granted by the full Town Council.

CURRENT STATUS

Two meetings were held with parties representing the property owner, the Town Planning Department and the Renaissance Project. The outcome was preparation of a revised site plan, which was subsequently presented to, and approved by, the Town Planning Board.

The Town Council approved a moratorium on development in areas along Middle Country Road in Coram and Middle Island, including areas defined within an aerial survey prepared by the Planning Department.

The moratorium in Coram and Middle Island is one of several moratoriums now in effect, as the Town prepares to major revisions in its zoning laws. They include a moritoriums on development along Route 27a in the Mastic area and a moratorium on developemnt of private retirement communities (PRC's.)

TO: John LaValle, Gene Gerrard, Ed Hennessey, Geri Esposito, George Hoffman, Dan Gulizeo, Linda Petersen, Eric Alexander, Chris O'Connor

FROM: Connie Kepert

RE: Middle Country Road Renaissance Project

DATE: 12/9/2002

As a follow up to our meetings on December 3rd I have summarized some of the salient points of both our private meeting and the public Town Council meeting.

It was stated that the following items have been accomplished:

1. The boundaries for a possible moratorium have been set.
2. The Vision Report was received by the TOB as of Oct. 30th.

1. The funding and staff necessary to put into place an effective moratorium would be available in the next budget cycle beginning in January 2003.
2. Members of the Middle Country Road Renaissance Project would be notified of all applications within the vision corridor, and every effort will be made to have such applications conform to the community's vision.
3. A list of land use tools which can be used in the interim period to help move forward the communities vision will be provided by Dan Gulizio.

The following applications were discussed as applications which have fallen through the cracks and need to be revisited:

Stop and Shop -Planning Board
King Kullen Shopping Center - Planning Board
Open Air Car Lot - Bartlett Rd. and Middle Country Road- ZBA

In addition these applications are pending and are of concern. Any activity on these listed parcels could harm the communities vision.

Pending Applications (at the time of the memo)

1. Birchwood PRC -submitted comments TOB
   Needs:
   Flesh out transect for this area Develop alternative proposal which is in line with vision Meeting with developer
   
   
2. Frank Weber PRC - met with willing to adapt application to vision.
   Needs:
   How to deal with environmental constraints, sewage treatment. (Is contacting Alex Latham for help with design.) - Update
   
   
3. Breslin - adjacent to K-Mart parcel - Met with Victor Burke, Chic Voorhis - to discuss parcel across from Artist lake - Pending application on this parcel. Expressed interest in adapting design. Discussed increasing density as an incentive for moderating design. Street network, architecture. - office retail currently -big box, dead worm design housing.
   Needs:
   follow up - Is W. Breslin willing to adapt to vision for increase in density?
   
   
4. Doug Hines - Artistic Lake PRC - 10 acres across the street from K-Mart - Met with 7/1 - showed power point vision. Forwarded presentation. Will come back with design.
   
   
5. Giaquinto -PRC west of Wading River Hollow - 152 units. No contact.
   Needs:
   Where they are in application process? - Log book town planning Department
   Copy of proposed site plan.
   Meeting with adjacent neighbors -
   Meeting with developer
   
   
6. Emanon At Woodhollow - Swezey Lane - Apartments - 70 units - currently zoned - A-1 & J-2 seeking Mf-1 met with 7/12. Is welling to amend design - Follow up meeting occurred.
   
   
7. Brookville Apartments- Contact with Ed.
   Needs:
   Development of Alternative design
   Meeting with community.
   
   
8. Kogel site -
   
   
9. Middle Island Toyota: Application for additional car lot across from current lot
   
   
10. 3500 unit application on sand mine north of Whiskey. -Trammel Crow

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