Government

EPCAL plan calls for mixed use; public hearing set for September

The new reuse plan calls for the creation of a new Planned Development District zoning category aimed at “allowing flexibility in providing a mix of uses in order to prevent further blight, economic dislocation and additional unemployment” — and boost the local economy.

While the principal uses at EPCAL are described as “all uses that promote economic development,” the proposed PDD zoning district also would have “supportive uses” meant to supplement a range of primary ones, including industrial, educational, recreational and manufacturing, among others.

Specifically, the suggested zoning would allow “a limited number of attached housing units in support of other principal uses within the EPCAL Property.” In addition, it also would permit “retail, personal service and restaurant uses that are specifically designed to support permitted principal or other supportive uses within the EPCAL Property.”

The homes called for in the study are not single-family residences, Mr. Walter said, but more like apartments.

Mr. Walter said residential uses were never prohibited by the Navy in the agreement that turned the land over to the town, as some have said. One recent plan to build polo fields at EPCAL had also called for 300 housing units,

The Navy’s “record of decision” when it transferred the property in 1998 says only that the land must be “redeveloped consistent with the Calverton Enterprise Plan.”

As for retail uses, the supervisor said, “Anytime you have a couple thousand people working in an area, you have to have supportive retail uses, like delis or small shopping areas, on site.”

Former congressman George Hochbrueckner, who wrote the bill to transfer the property to Riverhead, said in an interview Friday that EPCAL was expected to replace the jobs that were lost when Grumman moved out.

“If the plan stated to the federal government was to use some or all of the property for residential, it could have caused a problem at the time,” Mr. Hochbrueckner said. “That’s because there’s some environmental problems on the campus, and some of it is still being cleaned up. If the federal government had known there would be residences on the property, there would have been a higher standard of cleanup imposed. We never anticipated having residential when we transferred the land to the town. At this point, the town could probably do whatever they want now. I doubt the federal government would do anything.”

Still, the original 1997 reuse plan, which was done for the Navy, did examine one alternative for the land that was residential. That plan, known as Peconic Village, called for 1,350 units of senior housing, 688 units of assisted living housing and a private golf course.

At the time, it was not the alternative the Town Board chose to pursue.

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