Ground floor parking eyed for developments in Huntington Station

The Town of Huntington is weighing a plan to allow ground level parking at mixed-use developments in parts of Huntington Station to help fix parking shortages in the hamlet.

Town officials will consider amending the Huntington Station Overlay District to allow ground level parking at mixed-use buildings.

The town established the overlay district in 2004 to create a business district that accommodates neighborhood shopping and encourages job creation in a walkable community. 

Allowing ground level parking will address a parking crunch as developers seek to revitalize the hamlet, Huntington Town Supervisor Ed Smyth said.

"It’s a way to attract private capital into Huntington Station," Smyth said. "It would make some of the building sites in an area that has a lot of hills more buildable."

The targeted area for the change is from approximately Academy Place heading south to about West 11th Street and includes parts of Depot Road, Smyth said. The proposal would allow ground level parking in only the Huntington Station Overlay District, Smyth said. 

The parking area cannot be visible from the road, according to the proposal. Aesthetically and architecturally the parking area must look like the rest of the building. A portion of the ground floor must include a commercial use, subject to approvals from the town's zoning board of appeals, according to the resolution.

Huntington Station is primed for major upgrades. In June, the state awarded $9.7 million to Huntington Station as part of its Downtown Revitalization Initiative. The money will fund affordable housing, improve public gathering spaces and increase pedestrian safety.

Frank Cosentino, president of the Huntington Station Business Improvement District, said his group hasn't taken a stance on the measure. But he said he has spoken with residents who are concerned the proposal may lead developers to build too many tall buildings, changing the character of the community.

"We know we need to improve the area and if this is what it’s going to take, it’s fine," said Cosentino, owner of County Line Hardware in Huntington Station. "Is it our first choice? No but if it brings more money into the area we’re all for that."

There is not enough parking in the overlay district, with only one municipal parking lot on the corner of Pulaski Road and New York Avenue, town board member Dave Bennardo said.

The proposal "would go a long way to helping people going to Huntington Station to shop and not have trouble finding parking," Bennardo said. "It’s also a way to inject capital and excitement into Huntington Station without changing the look."

The hearing will be held during the regular town board meeting on Sept. 10, which starts at 7 p.m.