Town housing officials walk out of civics meeting in East Quogue

Three Southampton Town Housing Authority officials walked out of Tuesday night’s East Quogue Civic Association meeting in frustration after facing overwhelming opposition to their plan to build a pair of affordable rental homes in the hamlet.

“This is going to endanger the neighborhood,” said East Quogue Civic Association President Al Algieri during the nearly two-hour meeting that attracted approximately 50 people to the East Quogue Elementary School.

He was referring to a plan presented by the town to build two renter-occupied affordable homes on a 1-acre lot located off Jones Road. Suffolk County gave the town the land several years ago, stipulating that it must be used for the construction of affordable homes.

Louise Stalzer, the chairwoman of the Southampton Town Housing Authority, said Tuesday that she initially thought that the project, which she and other officials had spent a lot of time and effort on, would work in the hamlet.

“We really feel we can manage it well,” she said before exiting the meeting about 20 minutes early.

Bonnie Cannon, the volunteer chairwoman of the town’s Housing Authority Board, also appeared flustered by the vocal opposition of residents.

“I am not happy, because people have worked very hard,” Ms. Cannon said just prior to exiting the meeting. “We’ve gone with the direction we were given by the Town Board.”

The proposal, which calls for the construction of two rental houses, each with an accessory rental apartment, was originally scheduled to go before the Southampton Town Zoning Board of Appeals on Thursday, October 1. After Tuesday’s meeting, housing authority members decided to postpone the presentation of the application to allow further discussion.

The property was originally seized by Suffolk County due to non-payment of taxes before being deeded to the town in 2003. The Southampton Town Planning Board had already approved plans to subdivide the land into two half-acre lots, and build a 1,500-square-foot rental home on each property. The affordable housing project also requires a variance from the town’s Zoning Board of Appeals to build the two 700-square-foot accessory apartments.

Many of those in attendance Tuesday night said they were against the proposal, adding that they would rather see the town build owner-occupied affordable homes in that section of East Quogue. Many said they were not against affordable housing per se; rather, they said that rental housing does not work when it is built on scattered sites. Some said such construction might work better in downtown areas, namely in apartments that are attached to or built above commercial buildings.

Those who spoke cited fears that renters would not be as invested in maintaining the homes, while others argued that the town would have little oversight over its tenants.

“We have more than our share of rental properties,” said Brad Bender, the president of the Flanders, Riverside and Northampton Community Association. “I don’t believe that the town should be in the business of renting houses.”

Mr. Bender, who lives in Flanders, also opposes the town’s plans to build about a dozen rental homes, also slated for affordable housing, in his hometown.

Another complaint expressed at Tuesday’s meeting was that the collective interests of certain communities, namely Flanders and East Quogue, were not adequately represented in town government.

“I would like to see communities west of the canal added,” said East Quogue resident Bob Kandell.

Of those in attendance Tuesday night, about a half dozen said they were particularly concerned about the project because they live on Jones Road.

“In my view, it’s unlike anything in the neighborhood,” said Jones Road resident Kurt Heino.

Mr. Algieri argued that the proposal was never opened for discussion, even though it has already been signed off by the Planning Board. Ms. Stalzer said that was an inaccurate statement, noting that three public hearings were held on the proposal and her department had gone through all of the appropriate channels.

Ms. Stalzer, Ms. Cannon and Housing Authority Development Committee Chairman Vince Taldone repeatedly defended their actions and explained that they had been working within the parameters that they were given by the Town Board. Ms. Cannon’s and Mr. Taldone’s positions are volunteer, while Ms. Stalzer is a paid town employee.

On Tuesday, Ms. Stalzer said the town has the tools necessary to manage tenants of rental homes and apartments. “We really do have a lot of ways we can manage that apartment,” she said.

Town Board member Anna Throne-Holst, who is running for town supervisor, defended the housing authority employees, explaining that they were all hard-working individuals who believe that they were doing what is best for the community.

“They were handed these properties and it was said ‘Do something with them,’” Ms. Throne-Holst said.

A single mother of three, Ms. Throne-Holst noted that she herself rents a home because she cannot afford to purchase one in Southampton Town. “There are many levels of renters,” she added.

Ms. Throne-Holst, who was joined at the meeting by Town Board members Chris Nuzzi and Sally Pope, said they heard the opinions of the community and would try to heed their suggestions.

Ms. Stalzer said the next step would be to discuss the situation again with the Town Board and examine if other options are available. She said that one option could be for the town to build and market the two houses as owner-occupied homes with accessory rental apartments.

“We’re not making any promises to anyone,” Ms. Cannon said when reached on Wednesday morning. “We heard what the residents have to say loud and clear. [A decision] will be postponed until we can come together and talk.”