Developers seek input on Kings Park multifamily apartment complex

A Farmingdale-based developer proposing to build a four-story, multifamily apartment complex in downtown Kings Park is seeking community input before moving forward with the plan. 

The $20-million project called "The Cornerstone Kings Park" is a 50-unit luxury complex proposed at the site of a former restaurant on Indian Head Road near the LIRR station.

Tony Tanzi of Kings Park, who owns the 2.5-acre property, said the project is key to revitalization efforts for Kings Park, adding it is in line with the recommendations made in a 2016 action plan for the hamlet, which called for a transit-oriented development in and around Kings Park’s LIRR train station. The plan, updated in 2018, found that the downtown area is conducive to transit-oriented development and recommended suggestions to promote greater walkability by improving sidewalks, traffic safety and exploring the creation of a business improvement district.

Tanzi, who is president of the hamlet's Chamber of Commerce and sits on Smithtown's Zoning Board of Appeals, owns roughly more than 107,000-square-feet of property in Kings Park, on Main and Brand streets and Indian Head Road, according to town property records. 

“The project was literally designed based on those recommendations and exactly what the town board had anticipated or is contemplating for that area based on size, scale and location,” Tanzi said.

Should the project come before the zoning board, the town's code of ethics would require Tanzi to recuse himself from voting on the project, according to the town attorney's office.

Tanzi said Tuesday he will recuse himself at that time. 

The project has not been proposed to the town yet, the town's planning department said.

Tanzi said he and Terwilliger & Bartone Properties, a Farmingdale-based company specializing in luxury apartment home communities, also plan to set aside roughly 10%, or five, of its units as affordable housing. 

Designing a four-story building, Tanzi said, would allow an additional 15 parking spaces to be built under the building. The complex would feature six studios, 35 one-bedroom units, and nine two-bedroom units, and include 148 parking stalls.

However, residents on social media including Facebook have been asking questions about how the complex would impact downtown Kings Park, with many asking how it would affect traffic, parking and the overall character of the area, and whether the project would be given tax breaks.

The developers said it’s too early to determine whether they will seek tax breaks from the Suffolk Industrial Development Agency.

Michael Rosato, president of the Kings Park Community Association, said he wants to get more information on the project before he forms an opinion.

However, Rosato said he has heard that “numerous people” have concerns about the proposed development and wants to make sure it fits downtown Kings Park without ruining its character.

“This is the beginning of potential changes that could occur in Kings Park over the next couple of years, so I think that it’s important that it’s properly managed so we don’t see a proliferation of apartment buildings in downtown Kings Park,” Rosato said.

The developers are holding a community meeting about the project at 6 p.m. Thursday at the VFW Post 5796 on Church Street.

Tanzi said he is aware of the concerns posted on social media but he hopes to gather feedback at the meeting.

Following that, Tanzi said, the developers will submit their project application to the town “so we have a development that the community wants and helps to facilitate the goals that the vision plan had set out.”