Developer asking Huntington for zoning change to build 385 town homes

A Jericho-based developer has submitted an application to the Town of Huntington for a zoning change to build 385 town homes and villas for residents ages 55 and over on a stretch of Jericho Turnpike in Huntington.

The Beechwood Organization is making the request for a 55-acre parcel on the northeast corner of Jericho Turnpike and Manor Road. The application was filed with the planning department on April 1 and, if approved, the parcel would go from single family residential to Garden Apartment Special District zoning, town officials said Wednesday.

The proposed development, Country Pointe Elwood, would have a clubhouse, swimming pool and tennis court, Steven Dubb, a principal with Beechwood, said.

The parcel is sandwiched east of a tiny shopping center and west of an apple orchard in the Elwood School District.

Dubb said a previous proposal to build a commercial business on the site was rejected by the community, so a 55 and older residential community made more sense. He said the proposed development will generate less traffic than a commercial enterprise and will offer a tax benefit for the school district, without adding students.

“The underlying zoning is already residential and the community has made clear from the Villadom application that they don’t want commercial or retail there,” Dubb said. “There’s a huge need for age restricted housing in these types of communities on Long Island and it’s unmet.”

In 2018, Great Neck-based developer Kris Torkan, president of Syndicated Ventures, withdrew a plan to build an $80-million shopping center on the site and a library building for the Elwood community after the idea was met with contempt and protests by the community.

The plan required the town to change its comprehensive plan as well as approve a zoning change from residential to commercial.

Torkan said there is an agreement in place for the Beechwood Organization to purchase the land from his company if the project is approved.

Dubb said his company would not be seeking any IDA benefits and that if the community wants to expand the age eligibility of residents, that’s an option. He said he is set to start community outreach on the plan in the coming weeks.

“We do not ever try to ram a plan down a community's throat; our approach is always to work collaboratively with the community,” Dubb said. “We needed a starting point and this is our starting point.”

The Elwood Civic Association, a local community organization representing the area, could not be reached for comment.