Move Huntington housing forward

For 43 years, the Town of Huntington has talked about affordable housing at the corner of Elwood and Pulaski roads in East Northport. But it has never been closer to becoming a reality than it is now.

The project known as Matinecock Court has been to the Supreme Court and back and has suffered through countless starts and stops, decades of "no," and often, a lack of courage and leadership.

But late Thursday night, one town board member finally stepped forward and said "yes."

Now, the rest of the town board must follow her lead.

The developer now at the helm of Matinecock Court, Peter G. Florey, proposed a change in the project's structure, from 146 units split evenly between rentals and traditional ownership to a model that would make all units "limited equity cooperatives" — which allows residents to pay a monthly fee while gaining equity, but also avoiding barriers like down payments and closing costs.

It makes sense. And it worked before when a project seemed doomed to failure: Florey used a similar model for Highland Green in Melville, which is a success story since opening five years ago. It would behoove town board members to look at Highland Green.

Matinecock Court's structure change was on the board’s preliminary agenda for a vote last Thursday but board member and incoming supervisor Ed Smyth pushed back, calling the effort a "deception" and saying he was concerned about how late he learned about it. By Thursday afternoon, it lacked a sponsor and was removed from the agenda.

But advocates and town residents showed up anyway, passionately begging the board to move the project forward. "This thing is going on for 40 years and you’re going to tell me today we’re not ready?" one resident said.

Nearly four hours into the meeting, board member Joan Cergol stepped up, sponsoring the resolution and bringing it back onto the agenda, with support from fellow board members Mark Cuthbertson, whose term ends this year, and Eugene Cook. It was a welcome move.

The board ultimately decided to wait until December to vote. That gives them time to learn about the project, get answers to questions, and remember how important this is. Next month this crucial step for Matinecock Court should be successful. For the outgoing and remaining board members, it would be a meaningful move. For Smyth, it would be a powerful step on his way into the supervisor seat, a win before he even gets there, and a way to move the town forward.

If there’s one thing we’ve learned from this project, it’s that it won’t be a sure thing until a ribbon is cut in front of a completed development. But if all goes well, a June groundbreaking is possible.

After four decades of fighting over 146 housing units on land near railroad tracks and two busy roads, it's time for the absurdity to end.