Brookhaven approves new apartment project

The Suffolk Planning Commission has approved Brookhaven Town's first Blight to Light project -- which would build 96 affordable apartments on the site of a boarded-up car dealership in Port Jefferson Station -- despite a staff recommendation to reject the proposal.

The commission voted, 7-1, Wednesday in favor of Jefferson Meadows Llc, a project that would demolish the building on an 8-acre property on Route 112 and Jefferson Avenue and construct the apartments, office space and a health club.

The commission staff had urged disapproval, saying the complex is not in a downtown area and is 2,640 feet -- a half-mile -- away from the nearest shopping area, contrary to town master plan goals that call for higher-density housing in downtown areas.

The staff also raised concerns that the project's density of 12 units per acre is more than the master plan recommends and would produce 22,900 gallons of sewage daily in what is a special groundwater protection area.

J. Timothy Shea Jr., the developer's attorney, maintained the project has the backing of local civic associations and is within walking distance of a shopping center.

"It's 880 yards -- that's two par-4s," he said.

Developer James Tsunis said his project would help revive that section of the Route 112 corridor, where there are three other shuttered businesses. "This is going to become the Main Street for Port Jefferson Station and Terryville," he said.

Brookhaven Supervisor Mark Lesko said the project is one of four in the pipeline under a new town Blight to Light program designed to expedite approval for projects that redevelop eyesores. He said Jefferson Meadows "scored very well" with the town planning department.

The project is slated for an Aug. 22 town planning board hearing for a special permit that would allow it to proceed.

"It seems to me Blight to Light is a tool, not a blanket endorsement for every project," said environmentalist Adrienne Esposito, a county planning commission member and the lone dissenter. She worried about the increase in sewage. "It's death by a thousand cuts," she said.

Backers say the complex would be hooked up to a nearby existing sewage plant.

Other board members said the project would add badly needed affordable rental housing to help keep young people in the area.

"Talk about blight. This area is blight," said John Finn, who voted for the plan. "There's quite a bit of plywood on this stretch."