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Construction is set to begin soon on a new condominium complex in Westhampton Beach that will feature 39 units, a clubhouse and a swimming pool.
The private development, known as Timber Ridge, will be located just north of Montauk Highway, on approximately 6.6 acres across from the North Mall on Old Riverhead Road. According to Paul Houlihan, the administrator of the Westhampton Beach Village Building and Zoning Department, site plan approval for the project was granted by the village in August 2008, with a modification to the plan ratified this past November.
Mr. Houlihan also noted that a special zoning variance was needed because the land—which is actually six smaller properties—is located within the village’s hotel zoning district.
Now, according to Mr. Houlihan, the owners of the property, Timber Ridge at Westhampton Beach LLC., are planning to move forward with construction and have secured building permits for two of the six buildings. The two buildings will house the first nine condos.
Gary D. Cannella, the owner of Gary D. Cannella Associates, the Bohemia-based architectural firm that was hired to oversee the project, said construction is set to begin soon, though an exact date has not been set. Crews recently cleared the land of trees.
“They are doing some land clearing out there now,” Mr. Cannella said this week. “They are trying to get the site in order.”
Mr. Cannella also said that he’s happy with the project’s design and expects that the exterior of the homes will fit well with the character of the community. He said the condos will be constructed with a low-maintenance “green” product called HardieShingles and will feature high-efficiency gas heating systems, windows and insulation. Even with the green features, Mr. Cannella noted, the complex will not be a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design project, a designation that is reserved for buildings that are constructed with minimal impact on the environment.
Each of the condo units will be roughly 2,000 square feet in size and feature both a basement and a garage, Mr. Cannella said. He added that some of the garages will be attached and some will be detached. According to the site plan, each condo will be two stories and have three bedrooms and two and a half bathrooms. There will be 78 parking spaces within the complex, two for each condo.
“This is right near the shopping center and only a short bike ride to the village,” Mr. Cannella said. “This is going to be a very attractive project.”
According to Mr. Houlihan, the complex will feature one entrance and exit located on Old Riverhead Road. He also said that while the plan right now is to only have one access road, there is the possibility of building additional ones in the future. There are no immediate plans to install a traffic light at the entrance.
Westhampton Beach Village Clerk Rebecca Molinaro explained that the entrance road will feed into the development and become a loop. “It will be a circle drive,” she wrote in an email. “In the middle of the circle will be a pool and a clubhouse.”
Westhampton Beach Mayor Conrad Teller said he has no objections to the project. “We welcome any new construction,” he said. “Everything was met with the Planning Board [approval], so I support the project.”
