Additional Details on History
1 Property is located at Town of Huntington Parcels 0400-033.00-01.00-001.000 (78 Bay Avenue) and 002.000 and 0402-006.00-01.00-007.000 (211 Vineyard Road) on the Suffolk County Tax Map.
2 R&M Engineering (the developers’ engineering firm) submits a Subdivision Pre-Application form (TOH File# D-20-013-X) to the Town of Huntington, that was forwarded and received by the Town's Department of Planning and Environment to its Environmental Review Division.
3 As required by Town Code, the developers’ counsel sent a letter announcing the scheduling of an August 2 hearing before the Town of Huntington Planning Board to a very limited subset of the neighborhood homes (that was to include those situated within 500 feet of the subject property). Additionally, as required, an announcement was published one week prior to the planned hearing in the Long Island Observer. A subsequent Freedom of Information Law request, dated November 9, 2023, verified that only two houses located on Harbor Crest Court received the aforementioned letters notifying residents of the upcoming hearing. It is important to note that all the residents of the other 13 Harbor Crest Court properties are situated on a cul-de-sac. Each of those residents would have to navigate and deal with the noise and other disruptions caused by the anticipated 24-month construction project if approved as there exists the only a single point ingress to and egress from their properties. While research and canvasing operations are ongoing, it is apparent that only a handful of homes on Vineyard Road south of Taylor Road were notified (none of the homes on Mulberry with direct sight-lines to the subject property that is co-terminus to a Town “Water Recharge Protection Area” - #407, which is located bordering Mulberry, Vineyard and the subject 211 Vineyard Road parcel). No Vineyard Road residents north of Taylor Road or on Taylor Road, lower Bay Road, and Primrose Lane and Anthony Court were notified, though all will be impacted by construction and excavation vehicles and activities on the major north-south artery running through the neighborhood.
Documents Filed with the Town of Huntington
4 NHNP Petition to the EOSPA to Buy the Land for a Nature Preserve
5 Committee Letter 2-20-24 to Huntington Town and Planning Boards
6 Committee Attorneys 2-20-24 Request to Planning Board to Adjourn Decision
7 Committee Attorneys 2-21-24 Outline Issues Mandating Adjournment of Decision
8 Land Features Noted in 6-10-21 Memorandum from Sr. Environmental Planner
The understory of the 7.93 acre subject parcel is comprised primarily of hundreds of specimen rhododendron (Rhododendron spp.). A prior owner of the property was a prominent member of the New York Chapter of the American Rhododendron Society and was responsible for cultivating multiple unique cultivars that are still commercially available today. The understory also includes a variety of azalea (Azalea spp.) species. While not all considered species native to the region the rarity of such a substantial collection is recognized and should be preserved to the greatest extent possible.
The canopy species likely represent an example of coastal oak-hickory forest (as defined by Edinger et al. 2014). The state rarity rank of this ecological community is S3, which means that it is vulnerable to disappearing from New York due to rarity or other factors. According to the New York Natural Heritage Program (NYNHP) “There are less than 10 documented occurrences statewide.” The NYNHP further states, “The acreage, extent, and condition of coastal oak-hickory forests in New York is suspected to be declining due to fragmentation and extirpation from residential and commercial development, heavy deer browse, and invasive species.” The NYNHP development recommendations for this ecological community state, “Fragmentation of coastal forests should be avoided. It is also important to maintain connectivity with adjacent natural communities, not only to allow nutrient flow and seed dispersal, but to allow animals to move between them seasonally. Strive to minimize fragmentation of large forest blocks by focusing development on forest edges.”
The Coastal oak-hickory ecological community is known to be suitable habitat for Northern long-eared bats, which are listed by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service and the NYSDEC as a threatened species. The NYSDEC recommends that tree removal, within any area that may be suitable habitat for the Northern long-eared bat, be limited in extent as much as possible...
The subject property is located within Suffolk County Groundwater Management Zone VIII, which is considered a shallow groundwater flow system. The USGS estimates that the depth to groundwater on the subject property ranges from approximately 35 feet along Vineyard Road to 122 feet along Bay Avenue. Clearing should be minimized to the greatest extent possible to reduce the impact of the proposal on groundwater.
The subject property is located in the Huntington Harbor Subwatershed and according to the SCSWP has a travel time of groundwater to surface water of 2-10 years. This should be taken into account with regard to limiting clearing on the property and the proposed sanitary systems.
While visiting the property on January 20, 2021 a Cooper’s hawk (Accipiter cooperii) was identified on-site. Cooper’s hawks are species of special concern in New York State. Species of special concern are native species of wildlife which are not yet recognized as endangered or threatened, but are determined by the NYSDEC to be at risk of becoming threatened in New York State. As the preferred habitat of the Cooper’s hawk is mature forest, the applicant should preserve as much of the mature woodland area as possible.