3

Zoning re-evaluation

-t

:r: rTI

-t

0

rTI

By NICOLE ALLEGREZZA

After the Town of Brookhaven planning department gave a comprehensive presentation re -evaluation zoning during last month's work session, the board set a public hearing for March 22 to potentially rezone the Moriches area . Councilman Dan Panico will sponsor the plan to re -zone in an effort to reduce commercialization in the area . staffer Department Planning Joseph Sanzano said in 1987 the town undertook a land use plan and as a result, thousands of parcels of land town-wide were rezoned to reduce commercial zoning. The Moriches areas, he said, were ignored. Then again in 1995 and 1996 the Community Hamlet Plan and Town Land Use Plan were completed and hundreds of parcels were rezoned . Again, the Moriches areas were ignored, he said . "Due to the lack of attention, there remains a significant amount of commercial zoning throughout the Montauk Highway corridor," he explained . The plan is to rezone the area , which includes Moriches, Center Moriches, East Moriches and Eastport, that has been ignored. "We are at a critical point in the history of this area," Pan ico said . "Proper zoning will encourage and support the established local downtown areas, and will also serve to prevent the commercial sprawl associated with many areas to the west of these four hamlets." Many of the properties are zoned for commercial purposes and are used for single-family residential purposes or are homes converted into offices. Sanzano said the goal of this plan is to rezone lands in accordance with their existing use. He said if done, this would eliminate the threat of commercialization and maintain the charm of the communities. "But most importantly," he said, "whi le also suppo rting the existing business community, especially those within in the Center Moriches and East Moriches downtown areas and well -established

Brookhaven plans to rezone the Moriches areas to prohibit over-commercialization. ADV/Rie Photo

commercial center areas.· For example: The Moriches has 10 parcels zoned J-2 business, 25 acres of land equivalent of 215,500 square feet of retail commercial space and three parcels split zoned J-2 business and A- 1 residential, 2.5 acres of land totaling 21,000 square feet of retail commercial space. Those Moriches spaces are currently being used for industrial, agricultural purposes, single -family residences and vacant land. Center Moriches has 22 parcels zoned J-2 business, 21 acres of land equivalent to about 180,000 square feet of retail commercial space and 34 parcels split zoned J-2 business and A-1 residential, 15 acres of land totaling about 130,000 square feet of retail commercial space. In Center Moriches, those parcels are used for automotive purposes, persona l

services, a lodge, boat storage, a library, an undertak ing establishment, day care purposes, industrial purposes, place of worship, offices, single -family residences and vacant land. East Moriches has 18 parcels zoned J-2 business, 8.5 acres of land equivalent to 73,000 square feet of retail commercial space and 25 parcels split zoned J-2 business and A-1 residential, eight acres of land totaling about 70,000 square feet of retail commercial space. The East Moriches parcels are being used as a place of worship, boat storage, public schools, agricultural purposes, offices, single-family residences and vacant land. Eastport has five parcels zoned J-2 business, 5.5 acres of land equivalent to about 49,000 square feet of retail commercial space and two parcels spl it zoned J-2 business and A- 1 residential, 1

acre totaling about 8,000 square feet of retail commercial space. In Eastport, those properties' parcels are currently used as a storage barn, automotive offices, utility, public purposes, single-family residences and vacan t land. The plan will also support up zoning public lands to A-5 residential and A-1 0 residential and upzone single-family residences from A-1 residential to A-2 residential in sensitive areas such as the Forge River Watershed area . "The A-1 0 designation has become the town standard for public lands and more clearly delineates lands in the public domain," explained Panico. "There are ext remely limited instances of upzoning from A-1 to A-2 in an effort to protect wa t er quality in accordance with the town's stream corridor st udy. However, the overwhelming vast super majority of folks living in their single-family home will see no change." Main Street, Sanzano said, will also be addressed. The plan will support the rezoning of the existing Main Street area along Montauk Highway in Center Moriches from Canal Street to Railroad Avenue. It consists of 23 parcels of land equal to 6.69 acres of land and 19 parcels of split-zoned, equal to 4.3 acres of land. The East Moriches Main Street area runs along Montauk Highway at the in tersection with Atlantic Avenue and Pine Street. It consists of three parcels of land equal to .43 acres of land and 10 parcels of split-zoned land equal to 1.6 acres. "That is just a small area, but the heart of their little town,• he added. "Land use, planning and zoning are the preeminent powers of local government, and by using them effectively we can chart a course in a positive direction for decades to come: Panico said . The public hearing has been set for 6:30 p.m. on March 22 at Town Hall. Sanzano said the goal is to have the plan adopted and SEQRA findings by June 6 and phase 1 and phase 2 of rezoning completed late this year. •

0

-n S: 0

::o

a:r: rn

(I)

~

~ :r:

~

b;