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The Southampton Town Planning Board last week unanimously approved an application for a 19-lot subdivision, five years after a local developer first pitched the idea for the Estates at Remsenburg.
Construction on the new subdivision is slated to begin within the next 60 days, property owner Lawrence Citarelli confirmed on Friday, a day after the Planning Board signed off on the application. He said he is ecstatic that the planning phase is finally over and added that eight of the 19 lots on the 22.9 acres are already in contract.
The proposal has been discussed since 2011, having gone through at least eight different iterations before both sides agreed on a subdivision with entrances on both South Country Road and Nidzyn Avenue. The approved plan leaves 6 acres undeveloped as open space.
“The Planning Board did a really great job,” Mr. Citarelli said. “We look forward to breaking ground expeditiously, and we are extremely confident that not only will this be something we will be very proud of, but that the Planning Board, planners, landmark and historic boards, and the community overall will be proud of.”
The roughly 23-acre property was purchased by Mr. Citarelli for $3.6 million in 2010. The purchase was completed in two parts, with the 3 acres abutting South Country Road costing $1.2 million and the remaining 20 acres running $2.4 million. Both properties are zoned for 1-acre residential lots, and they will sit between South Country Road, Nidzyn Avenue and Matthews Drive, with one new road and a cul-de-sac being added. The cost of the lots ranges from $479,000 to $625,000 each.
The completed application features 19 buildable lots, ranging in size from about a half acre to just shy of an acre. The homes will be surrounded by open space, offering a buffer between the new development and neighbors. The property also includes two existing buildings off South Country Road.
Mr. Citarelli plans to partially renovate one of the existing homes that stands closest to South Country Road, noting that he intends to construct an addition that will match the area’s architectural style. His plans for the second home are unclear, though he previously stated that he intended to renovate and resell it.
The application has been the source of contention among some in the Remsenburg community since it was first proposed, with residents debating where the entrances should be situated. Early in the process, many neighboring property owners had pressured Southampton Town to buy the land using proceeds from its Community Preservation Fund, but after an evaluation officials concluded that it was not suitable for preservation.
Erin McKinley on May 27, 2016