Plan to build homes on former school property moves forward

The developer behind a proposal to build a 36-unit, mostly age-restricted housing development on a former school district ballfield in Huntington Station has gotten the OK from the Huntington Town Board to move forward.

A 2.92-acre parcel owned by Dena Properties LLC was approved for a zoning change to construct a seven-building development with a mix of for-sale townhomes and “flats” on West 23rd Street called Nova Park.

The property needed a change from single-family-home zoning to a designation that allows condominiums, town homes and apartments, Newsday previously reported.

The town board voted 5-0 Tuesday for the zoning change. The application will move to the town’s planning board to get site plan approval, said Michael McCarthy, the attorney representing the developer. 

 The plan calls for 24 town homes in five buildings, each with a driveway and garage. The other 12 units would be in two buildings of six units each. The community would have its own sewage treatment plant, Newsday previously reported.

The South Huntington school district sold the property to the developer in 2022 for $789,450 after a referendum, Newsday previously reported.

Town board member Dave Bennardo was the South Huntington schools superintendent when the district began efforts to sell the parcel after grappling with what to do with the property.

“This was a piece of property that we tried a thousand things with,” he said, including athletic fields. That didn’t work because there were no bathroom facilities, he said.

Bennardo said the housing project is a win for everyone.

“This takes a piece of land that we really could find no other use for, helps the taxpayers of that community while simultaneously does not put a burden on the school district,” he said after the meeting.

The property was sold to the developer with the understanding it would likely be used to build housing, Newsday previously reported.

McCarthy said his clients “worked very hard to engage the community” to get the project approved. He added that the age-restricted community also will include an affordable component for first responders.

By Deborah S. Morris

deborah.morris@newsday.comdsvmorris

Deborah Morris is a native Long Islander and covers the town of Huntington.