Developer Seeks Zone Change For 56-Unit Melville Crossing

A portion of the Melville Crossing site plan.

Developers are seeking a zone change that would allow for the construction of two three-story apartment buildings near the corner of New Highway and Smith Street in Melville.

Referred to as “Melville Crossing” in town documents, the proposal for the 3.86-acre site needs an town board-approved zone change from R-40 to R-3M Garden Apartments.

The proposed residential development would be comprised of 32 two- and 24 one-bedroom apartments, divided evenly between the two buildings, according to plans received by the town planning department Sept. 13, 2017. The plans also call for an around 1,800-square-foot community center.

The applicant, listed as Farmingdale-based construction company The Marcus Organization, needs approval from both the towns of Huntington and Babylon as the parcel spans borders — 2.66 acres in Huntington; 1.2 acres in Babylon.

At its Jan. 10 meeting, the Huntington Planning Board made several recommendations on the proposal to the town board, including a requirement that 20 percent of the units be reserved as affordable housing.

The planning board also recommended the town board require the developer to implement sound-reduction measures, including a 10-foot sound wall, to mitigate the noise from a manufacturing building and UPS facility that border the property.

The town board, which would need to approve the zone change in order for the proposal to

move forward, has not yet set a date for a public hearing.

-BEACH