Mastic Beach redevelopment plan to include 10% fewer units

The number of townhouses and apartments to be built as part of a $590 million redevelopment of downtown Mastic Beach will be reduced by about 10%, to about 550 units, Brookhaven officials said as they approved a raft of zoning changes for the project.

Reducing the number of housing units came in response to concerns expressed by residents last summer that the multiuse revitalization project would overwhelm the Neighborhood Road business district.

The project, helmed by Jericho-based Beechwood Organization, which was tapped by Brookhaven officials in 2023 to be its master developer, has otherwise drawn broad support from Mastic Beach residents.

Supporters, including town officials and many residents, have said the project would provide a much-needed face-lift to the downtrodden business district. 

The town board, in a series of 6-0 votes Thursday night, approved dozens of zoning changes allowing more housing in the predominantly commercial downtown, which currently has a mix of small stores, bars, pizza and bait shops, a branch of the Mastics-Moriches-Shirley Community Library and the headquarters of the Mastic Beach Ambulance Co.

The town board also voted 6-0 to OK a findings statement supporting the creation of a Neighborhood Road revitalization district and adopting a map outlining details of the redevelopment plan.

Steven Dubb, a Beechwood Organization principal, said the company had proposed 628 housing units in the belief that would generate enough revenue to make the project profitable. But he said the company was "very happy with whatever the town allows us.”

“We would have wanted more units to make the economics possible," he said Friday in a telephone interview. “We will make it work. The town's been a great partner.”

Brookhaven Supervisor Dan Panico said Thursday having less housing would be "easier with respect to traffic" and parking. He added that Mastic Beach residents had shown support for the project, noting that no opposition had been expressed during Thursday's meeting. 

"The revitalization becomes more and more real with each day that goes forward," he said.

At a public hearing last August, some in a crowd of about 100 residents said they worried about whether the 37-acre, triangle-shaped retail district could support an influx of traffic.

Maura Spery, a former mayor of Mastic Beach before the village was disbanded in 2017, said she agreed that shrinking the amount of housing would help reduce the development's traffic impact.

“As much as I really support the downtown redevelopment, I do think it would be better if it would be a little smaller,” Spery said Friday in a phone interview, adding she was “excited that it’s finally happening.”

When completed, the project is expected to include a total of 130,000 square feet of retail and office space in addition to the apartments and townhouses. 

The town last year received a $20 million Suffolk County grant to build new sewers in Mastic Beach, and officials last fall announced a $10 million state grant to improve drainage in the hamlet.

Dubb said demolition of many existing buildings is expected to start later this year, with construction of new ones set to begin next year.

He said Beechwood has purchased about half of the 140 parcels needed to build the project and is in negotiations to buy more than a dozen other properties.

Dubb said the company would prefer not to acquire properties by eminent domain.

“I hope not. That’s not where we want to end up,” he said. “We’re working very hard to figure out how to get everyone to a good resolution without having to use eminent domain.”