Mixed Response To Senior Center Plan

Long Islander News photos/Jano Tantongco

Sunrise Senior Living VP  Philip Kroskin (inset) speaks before the town board at a public hearing on Sunrise’s proposed Huntington Station facility.

By Jano Tantongco

jtantongco@longislandergroup.com

A majority of support outweighed a handful of opposition at a public hearing Tuesday night on a 77,000-square-foot assisted living center proposed for Huntington Station.

The plan, the topic of a public hearing at the monthly town board meeting, calls for a two-story, 90-unit building to be built at 300 West Hills Road. In order for it to move forward, the town board must approve a zone change for the site — R-7 residence district to R-HS residential health services district.

Sunrise Senior Living, the developer of the project, currently operates similar centers in Dix Hills, Plainview, Smithtown and West Babylon.

Philip Kroskin, senior vice president of real estate for Sunrise, said three community meetings with residents were held and that he met individually with homeowners adjacent to the site ahead of the public hearing.

“I’m pleased to say that we have no opposition from any of those immediate neighbors along West Hills Road, Peach Tree Lane and Florence Court,” Kroskin said, adding that there are around 19 households along those roads. “In fact, we have strong support from many of them.”

At the public hearing, two voices of dissent were heard among 13 residents who said they support the plan. However one of the dissenters said she was representing 118 others who signed a petition against the project.

Diane Tanko, who lives two blocks from the site, said the plan would “alter the essential character of our neighborhood, which is known for its small and single-family homes and quiet, countrified setting.”

She called for a 25-percent reduction of the number of units, bringing it down to 67 units. She added that this would lessen the impact on congestion and allow for larger buffers to be put in place.

“We want to defend our residential zoning and the Town of Huntington’s comprehensive plan’s goal of protecting residential neighborhoods from intensification of usage,” Tanko said.

In response to their proposed alteration, Councilman Mark Cuthbertson said that the town board’s experience has found that the primary traffic generators of such projects are employees, since the residents typically do not drive.

Sunrise officials said they would agree to proposed covenants and restrictions regarding employee shift hours to accommodate school hours, as well as long-term maintenance of buffers and berms.

Kroskin also added that Sunrise officials have spoken with people who have signed the petition against the project and that many of those people had changed their opinion on the project.

After the two dissenters had their say, 13 residents took to the podium, to voice their support.

One of them, Lori Stier, who lives at the corner of Peach Tree Lane and West Hills Road, said she’s just three doors down from the project site. She said she supports it “fully” and doesn’t view increased traffic as an issue.

“If anyone wants to talk about traffic, I can tell you about the traffic, I’m right there,” Stier said. “This will be an asset to the community and the Town of Huntington that prides itself on taking care of its seniors.”

Arthur Gipson, business agent for Plumbers Local Union No. 200, said Sunrise has consistently worked with Plainview-based contractor EW Howell to create facilities with state-of-the-art technology, including on-site wastewater treatment facilities.

“It’s local jobs for local people,” he said.

After Gipson spoke, Councilwoman Susan Berland asked Kroskin if the project would use union labor.

Kroskin said Sunrise is negotiating “in good faith” with EW Howell and unions.