In Mattituck, hotel proposal getting chilly reception from some locals

A proposal for a 121-room hotel on Main Road in Mattituck is pending before Southold Town officials, but residents who attended a recent civic association event said the facility is not a good fit for their community.

The boutique hotel, at 98,000 square feet and two stories high, would be managed by Dobbs Ferry-based developer Ward Capital Management LLC on an 11.83-acre Main Road property owned by Cardinale Management. It would feature 418 parking spaces, a pool and other amenities, adding up to a project covering 200,000 square feet.

D’Wayne Prieto, principal for Ward Capital Management, told Newsday the Cardinale family, which always has owned the property, had been looking to develop it “for some time.” The property formerly was a Capital One building, before closing in 2011.

“They had been going over all the various options, and this is the highest and best use for the site given all the uses that have been presented,” Prieto said.

The developer filed applications proposing the hotel with Southold’s planning and zoning boards in December, which currently are being reviewed, according to town officials.

Residents, however, appear unenthusiastic about the proposal and seem prepared to dig in for a fight.

 A meeting that the Mattituck-Laurel Civic Association hosted last month at the Mattituck-Laurel Library where Prieto discussed the proposed hotel drew more than 150 people. None spoke in favor of the project.

Kerri Fren, of Laurel, told Prieto she worried the development would depreciate the value of homes and generate excessive traffic.

“This is where we walk, where we live,” Fren said. “By you doing this … you are impacting and putting the safety of the people that live here at risk for the benefit of the tourists.”

Mickey Attir, of Jamesport, who runs a East End motel, told Newsday after the meeting he was concerned about how traffic would affect the area if the hotel was constructed.

Other residents brought up environmental concerns such as the construction’s potential impact on nearby wetlands.

Rick Haley, of Mattituck, asked if hotel guests would be granted automatic access to local beaches, which he didn’t want to see happen.

Prieto said he didn't expect hotel guests to use local beaches due to the amenities that would be available at the facility, like the pool.

Considering the community reaction, Prieto told Newsday on Tuesday that the plan could be modified to reduce parking spaces to prevent wetlands disruption and said a widening of the street near the hotel could help facilitate traffic flow.

He also said he would expect hotel guest arrivals and departures to be staggered and that the facility wouldn't be a major traffic generator.