LIBOR Supports New Housing Plans for Kings Park and Lindenhurst

Last week, LIBOR submitted two letters of support for new transit-oriented housing opportunities in Suffolk County:

Kings Park: The first was to Smithtown Supervisor Ed Wehrheim (R) and the Town Board, encouraging the approval of a special exception to build up to 50 apartments as part of the Cornerstone Kings Park proposal. New York State awarded Smithtown a $10 million grant for a Kings Park Downtown Redevelopment Initiative (DRI) earlier this year. "The current plan calls for a three-story building, with an underground parking garage. The original plan was for four stories," reported Newsday. "We’re trying to do things that will bolster foot traffic in the downtown, and help spark some of the businesses out there,' developer Anthony Bartone said. 'When you’re making a $22 million private investment, that generates other economic activity in the downtown.'" Read the letter here.

Lindenhurst: The second was to Lindenhurst Village Mayor Mike Lavorata and the village trustees, encouraging the rezoning of the 4.6-acre former Waldbaum's property on East Hoffman Avenue to allow for mixed-use rather than solely commercial spaces. LIBOR noted the mayor's encouragement of including more owner-occupied units and concern that a less desirable industrial developer would be less responsive to local concerns: "In September, developers scaled back their original all-rental idea and unveiled plans for a three-story building with 88 rental units and 52 condominiums. There would be a larger supermarket, at 8,000 square feet," reported Newsday.  Read the letter here.