Residents divided on Huntington plan to legalize basement rentals

After residents packed Huntington Town Hall Tuesday night to debate the merits and drawbacks of a proposal to legalize basement apartments, supporters of the plan said they will sift through comments to gauge the next steps even as the town supervisor expressed "skepticism" about the benefits of such apartments.

Board members Joan Cergol and Dave Bennardo, who sponsored the resolution to modify the town's current code on accessory dwelling units, or ADUs, said they are regrouping to come up with a plan that includes an informational meeting to educate the public about the proposal, which would legalize basement apartments and detached garages as secondary living spaces in single-family homes. They say the measures will help boost affordable housing and offer economic relief for homeowners. If the changes are approved, new units will require owners to install sprinklers and notify the fire marshal about the ADU locations, which the fire marshal would share with first responder units.

Town Supervisor Ed Smyth in a statement Wednesday said, “After listening to the public hearing at Tuesday’s Town Board meeting, I have even greater skepticism of the benefits these ADU’s provide." 

At the Tuesday hearing, where residents waited up to two hours to get into Town Hall as public safety officials limited the number of people allowed in the auditorium, supporters urged passage of the legislation saying safe, decent and affordable housing is desperately needed for young people, seniors, veterans and working families.

Many also expressed concerns about traffic and environmental concerns, lack of code enforcement and the stress that more people moving into town might place on public services. 

Huntington resident Cheryl Bloom said Tuesday there should be a formula so that neighborhoods are not saturated with accessory apartments.

Supporter Hunter Gross, 27, president of the Huntington Housing Coalition, said the proposed changes ensure young people, seniors and working families don’t have to leave the town of Huntington.

"The sentiment tonight that the legislation will bring in the wrong kind of people is disturbing and wrong," he said. "It's for people like me who grew up here who can't afford to stay." 

Basement apartments were legal in Huntington until 2019, when the town board banned them as part of a larger effort to revise accessory dwelling and affordable housing code.

Jon Artz of Huntington said he attended the meeting to hear from both sides.

Artz said if there is another pandemic an overburdened system would not be prepared for more people living in Huntington.

“I don’t know if we’ll be prepared to answer the call,” he said during a break of the marathon hearing. “I haven’t heard anybody talk about ‘Well, this is how we’re going to handle this.' So I have reservations.”

Cergol said public commentary during the hearing demonstrated a lack of understanding of the proposal. 

“We heard a lot last night and took some rough hits, but it was nothing compared to the pain of observing open bias, or the lack of compassion for some of our most vulnerable residents who mustered the courage to come forward to speak publicly about their housing struggles,” Cergol said.

Town officials said 119 people registered to speak on the proposal.

Town Board member Sal Ferro said he supports more discussion on the topic.

“What I heard was some really smart opinions, a lot of misinformation and I also heard some people who were crying out for help and others who are afraid of the change this might bring,” he said, noting ADUs are allowed in the town and that basement apartments had previously been allowed. 

Town board member Gene Cook said the loudest message he heard from those in attendance was that they do not want the amendments approved.

“The people spoke loud and clear last night and we are elected to run the town of Huntington for the people,” Cook said.

Pilar Moya-Mancera, executive director of Greenlawn-based Housing Help Inc., on Wednesday said some of the comments at the meeting were disappointing but said she's undeterred. 

“This disappointment only renews Housing Help's commitment for advocating for safe, decent, and affordable housing on behalf of all residents.”

There are approximately 2,200 ADUs in the town. The Town’s Accessory Dwelling Unit Bureau said roughly 8% to 10% of those are basement apartments. 

The town board has 90 days to enact the amendments. It will require three votes to pass.