Patchogue Coalition Against the Cornerstone Development

Dear Mayor Pontieri and Board of Trustees,

The protection of Patchogue’s environment and water resources, like the Patchogue River, is integral to our community, economy, and way of life. As a coastal community, that way of life is threatened by climate change. It is imperative as the Village plan for climate change impacts so we can minimize damage and achieve a sustainable, safe future for residents.

We, the undersigned, are strongly opposed to the approval of a special permit for the Cornerstone Apartments that would allow for the gross overdevelopment of lots at the end of Mulford St on the Patchogue River.  Granting a Special Permit would have multiple negative environmental and social impacts and set a dangerous precedent that paves the way for additional Special Permits resulting in detrimental overdevelopment of the riverfront. This is compounded by the lack of an approved riverfront development plan or comprehensive environmental review for this type of development on the east side of the Patchogue River.

Our major concerns that have been voiced over the past several years and have not been addressed in the current Cornerstone proposal include:

• Visual impacts from a 5-story, 51-foot building from the east and west side of the river, incongruous to the surrounding homes. This is an over intensification of the Riverfront diminishing viewsheds for residents.
• Visual impacts from a 2-tiered parking garage from the east and west side of the river, incongruous to the surrounding homes.
• Negative stormwater and drainage impacts to neighboring properties from the hardening and overdevelopment of the lots resulting in degradation to water quality in the Patchogue River.
• Parking and traffic congestion along neighboring streets.
• Overdevelopment in a highly vulnerable location immensely increases the risk of damage to personal property and public infrastructure from flooding, high tides, and storm events.
• Precedent-setting implications for overdevelopment along the east side of the Patchogue River.

Development in the Village of Patchogue should enhance community character, preserve open space, make beneficial use of the Village’s coastal location, and mitigate adverse effects of development, including minimizing loss of life, structures, and natural resources from flooding and erosion. The Village should ensure that coastal zone development provides for beneficial use of the Village’s environmental, historical, and cultural waterfront resources to the benefit of its residents. Development that does not reinforce traditional land-use patterns will adversely affect the community character of the Village.

Land use and zoning laws provide for the landowner’s rights to develop their property in accordance with permitted uses within local zoning codes. The granting of a Special Permit is not a right provided to landowners. Special Permits should only be granted for individual cases that bring value to the community, protect our environment and natural resources, and are supported by the impacted community. The Cornerstone Apartments proposal is not only asking for residential use but is asking for carte blanche overdevelopment in a dangerously inappropriate area. The Village has been a model of promoting sustainability and protection of its environment and therefore its residents. The overdevelopment proposed for Cornerstone is in direct opposition to the Village’s progress. We urge you and the Village Board of Trustees to not support the Special Permit for the Cornerstone Apartments.

We look forward to discussing this matter with all of you.