Town of Huntington, NY - News Details

At its October 16 meeting, the Huntington Town Board ceremoniously renamed the Town Hauntington for Halloween and scheduled various public hearings for November 6 at 7:00 PM, including the 2020 budget hearings and a proposal to increase transparency from applicants requesting zone changes.

The Town Board scheduled a public hearing for Wednesday, November 6 at 7:00 PM to consider amending the Code of the Town of Huntington, Chapter 198 Zoning, Article XIX Zoning Map Amendments, §198-131 Public Hearing; Notice Requirements; Decision of the Board; increasing transparency by requiring applicants seeking zone changes to mail the notice of public hearing to affected residents in an envelope clearly marked “Required Notification Regarding Proposed Zone Change” on the front of the envelope.

“This is the transparency we promised; residents should be afforded every opportunity to participate and have a voice in the public hearing process on issues affecting their neighborhoods,” said Supervisor Chad A. Lupinacci, who proposed the change in notification procedure strengthening notification requirements. “These changes ensure the recipient is far less likely to mistake the notice as junk mail and throw it away.”

The Town ceremoniously renamed the Town of Huntington to the Town of Hauntington in the spirit of Halloween for the second year in a row. Supervisor Chad A. Lupinacci presented a proclamation to eight-year-old Angelica Dee Cunningham, whose 2018 letter to the Supervisor inspired the name change and the new tradition, at the meeting.

“This was a very creative idea and it is the start of a new tradition to make celebrating Halloween a little more special in the Town of Hauntington for years to come. Angelica’s idea also inspired the Town Clerk and my office to do a Haunted Tour of the Town Clerk’s Archives this year, to explore Huntington – or Hauntington’s – haunted history preserved in the basement of Town Hall.”

Take the guided tour of the Hauntington Town Clerk’s Archives on Tuesdays and Fridays in October from 1:30pm to 4:30pm, and also on Halloween from 1:30pm to 4:30pm.

The Town Board scheduled additional public hearings for the Wednesday, November 6, 2019 Town Board meeting at 7:00 PM:

• Re: 2020 Preliminary Annual Operating Budget.
• Re: 2020 Preliminary Capital Budget.
• Concerning the adoption of the Assessment Roll for the Huntington Sewer District.
• Concerning the adoption of the Assessment Roll for the Centerport Sewer District.
• To consider amending the Code of the Town of Huntington, Chapter 198 Zoning, Article IX Height, Area and Bulk Regulations, §198-58(A) Modifications of Yard Requirements; to improve fire safety by making it easier for property owners to install egress windows and/or window wells by allowing for a protective cover or grate to be installed for egress windows or window wells extending up to 42 inches into a required yard setback, eliminating the requirement of a formal application and hearing before the ZBA.
• To consider acquiring and securing an appraisal for an addition to the Ingraham Preserve for passive parkland and community trails use on the 5.66 acres located on the north side of Locust Road in Northport adjoining the 27.4-acre Henry Ingraham Nature Preserve.
• To consider amending the Code of the Town of Huntington, Chapter 78 (Animals), Article II (Dogs and Other Animals), §78-3 (Running at large prohibited), §78-4 (Designated off-leash areas), §78-10 (License Requirements), §78-11 (Application for a license), §78-12 (Issuance of license; identification tag), §78-15 (Surrender of dog by owner for destruction or adoption; fees) and §78-17 (Unattended Animals); amending various sections of Chapter 78, in addition to the proposed changes in Resolution 2019-354 for which a public hearing was held on July 16, 2019, regarding licensing, surrendering of dogs, unattended animals and tethering of dogs.
• To consider amending the Code of the Town of Huntington, Chapter 198 (Zoning), Article VI (Historic Landmarks and Districts), §198-42 (Designation of Sites and Buildings), to designate as an Historic Landmark the building and property known as the Old Centerport Methodist Church,  15 Park Circle, Centerport.
• To consider amending the Uniform Traffic Code of the Town of Huntington, Chapter 4, Article I, §4-3, Schedule L.  Re: Green Street and West Carver Street – Huntington – Town Parking Fields; designating the existing municipal parking lot on the south side of West Carver Street, east of Green Street, in Huntington as Lot #52, allowing the Department of Transportation to assign Handicapped and Fire Zone parking regulations and the Department of Public Safety to enforce such restrictions.
• To consider amending the Uniform Traffic Code of the Town of Huntington, Chapter 3, Article II, §3-3, Schedule J. Re: Pine Drive – Cold Spring Harbor – Parking Restrictions; adding No Stopping restrictions, at the request of residents, on Pine Drive in Cold Spring Harbor, from Flora Street to its terminus, from 7:00 AM to 4:00 PM on school days.
• To consider amending the Code of the Town of Huntington, Chapter 87 (Building Construction), Article VIII (General Restrictions and Requirements), Section 87-55.1 (Safe and Code Compliant Construction); to require an apprenticeship agreement for a construction contract with a value in excess of $250,000 to which the Town of Huntington is a direct or indirect party (a “Town Construction Contract”); and given case law challenging municipal requirements on private projects, eliminating the requirement codifying the Town’s existing policy requiring an apprenticeship agreement be in place prior to the Town’s issuance of a building permit for a planned commercial building of at least 100,000 square feet, and also requiring the relevant apprenticeship program graduate apprentices and additional proof of participation to be provided.
• (as the Board of Trustees), to consider authorizing the execution of a license agreement with American Legion Huntington Post #360 for the use of Board of Trustee property and buildings located at 1 Mill Dam Road, Halesite, New York; for a yearly license fee of $1,200 for a term of five years with an option to extend for two five-year extensions.

The Town Board scheduled a public hearing for the Tuesday, November 19, 2019 Town Board meeting at 2:00 PM to consider authorizing various actions be taken upon certain properties designated as blighted in accordance with Chapter 156, Article VII, §156-60 (Blighted Property).

In other action, the Town Board:

• Extended the time to make a determination regarding zone change application #2019-ZM-440, Benchmark Senior Living at Dix Hills, an additional 90 days to February 2, 2020.
• Adding No Parking restrictions in Northport near Del Vino Vineyard during normal operating hours of the vineyard due to input and requests received from residents: both sides of Norwood Road between Starlit Drive and Russell Court and both sides of Starlit Drive for the 700 feet south of Norwood Road (No Parking Monday-Friday 4pm-11pm, Saturday-Sunday 1pm-11pm); the west side of Sound Court (No Parking at any time).
• At the recommendation of the Greenway Trails Committee, the Town Board established a temporary 90-day pilot program, to run from January 1, 2020 through March 31, 2020, to allow on-leash dog walking in certain portions of Heckscher Park with the following conditions: owners and/or dog-walkers are required to pick up after their dogs; on-leash, well-behaved dogs are permitted in the walkway surrounding the pond under the strict rule that their owners and/or dog-walkers yield to any and all pedestrians on the walkway; dogs remain prohibited from entering the playground, picnic areas, and tennis courts; dogs remain prohibited from sports fields while they are in use, whether in formal or informal play; on-leash, well-behaved dogs are permitted in the area surrounding Harry Chapin Rainbow Stage when there are no performances or events, and conditionally permitted during performances or events if the dog remains quiet, still and in no way disruptive.
• Appointed Narek Boudakian as Deputy Director of the Department of Information Technology; Boudakian is a versatile Information Technology leader with over 30 years of comprehensive technical and management experience spanning various industries, most recently serving as Partner and CIO for NetQuest, Inc. for the past 17 years.
• Appointed Joseph Cirigliano as Deputy Director of the Department of Public Safety; long-time public security professional Cirigliano most recently served as United States Secret Service Agent in Charge over the past 20 years managing security operations for U.S. Presidents and global dignitaries.
• Appointed Stephanie Bontempi and Abbey Eckelmann as members to the Beautification Council to fill two vacancies for terms expiring October 16, 2024: Centerport resident Stephanie Bontempi, an educator and an avid gardener, is an active community member and volunteer; Northport resident Abbey Eckelmann, an interior designer and avid gardener, was recommended by Huntington Arts Committee member Vicki Dollin.
• Appointed Centerport resident and long-time real estate attorney Sean Campbell as a member of the Town of Huntington Board of Assessment Review.
• Reappointed Maureen Donohue and Tamar Sherman as members of the Citizens’ Advisory Committee for Persons with Disabilities (terms expiring August 1, 2023).
• Reappointed Andrew Repajko, Bob Von Hagen and Steve Kennaugh as members of the Plumbing Advisory Board (terms expiring October 17, 2022).
• Reappointed Linda Furey, Robert Carter and Caitlin Sempowich as members (terms expiring September 10, 2022) and designated James Metcalfe as Chairperson (term expiring September 10, 2020) of the Public Art Advisory Committee.
• Approved a Suffolk County Shared Services bike share program sponsored by Zagster, Inc. to place bicycle racks and bicycles on Town property.
• Approved the execution of an agreement to improve traffic safety at the Larkfield Road LIRR crossing by connecting the Town’s traffic-control system with grade crossing warning devices on the LIRR’s right-of-way.
• Accepted a donation and installation of a flag pole from the Huntington Manor Fire Department to be placed at the memorial area at Depot Road Park in memory of Richard Holst, a 39-year member and Chaplain of the Department who died in the Line of Duty on September 9, 2009.
• Accepted a donation from Vietnam Veteran Louis Pagano of a bariatric wheelchair, valued at approximately $500, for the Department of Human Services Veterans Affairs and Senior Citizens Divisions.
• Accepted a donation of one Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) and two All Weather AED Enclosures, with a total value of $3,400, from the Louis J. Acompora Foundation for installation at Breezy Park in Cold Spring Harbor and Veterans Park in East Northport.
• Accepted a donation of three full sizes sheet cakes from King Kullen for the Town of Huntington Department of Human Services Senior Division Italian Festival and Pasta Party.

In the photo (l-r): Supervisor Chad A. Lupinacci presents Angelica Dee Cunningham a Hauntington proclamation from the Town Board, joined by Town Clerk Jo-Ann Raia and Angelica’s mother Deirdre, father Tom and brother Desmond.

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