It appears that the construction of apartment buildings is spreading through Port Jefferson Village like an aggressive cancer — metastasizing from Main Street to, now, Oakland Avenue.
None of the proposed new apartment buildings on Upper Port’s Main Street have even broken ground yet, and already, at last night’s Planning Board Meeting, we learned that this multi-family housing fever has found a new host.
A developer introduced his plan to demolish the existing building on Oakland Avenue and replace it with a three-story, 16-unit apartment complex. Because apparently, nothing says “quaint seaside village” quite like another stack of apartments.
And here’s the scariest part — yes, it gets worse. During his presentation, the developer casually mentioned that, while chatting with other property owners on Oakland, he discovered they too have “future desires” to redevelop their properties. (Translation: it’s spreading.)
Village Director of Building, Planning and Environmental Services, Andrew Freleng, said the proposed project would be “a good fit” for the Village — with a few modifications, of course — and encouraged the developer to keep moving forward. (Of course he did.)
Project Details Worth Losing Sleep Over:
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The lot is sloped, but the proposed building will still stand 48 feet on one side and 43 feet on the other — well above the 35-foot maximum height limit. The developer claims this extra height is necessary to meet the required 15-foot ceiling on the first floor — just in case retail space is ever “in demand.” Because who doesn’t love planning future retail around imaginary customers?
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Parking: Only 20 spaces are planned, though 24 are required. Not to worry — if the developer adds a bike rack, the Village allows a four-space reduction. (Yes, really. Because Long Islanders are famous for ditching their cars and biking to work year-round.)
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Rooftop deck: complete with a fire pit and BBQ — perfect for those city-style vibes.
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Lobby monitors will display transportation schedules. (You can almost picture the stampede of eager renters fighting for the privilege of checking when the next train leaves.)
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The developer requested permission to install a construction fence, required by both his insurance company and the Village Code Enforcement Office. The Planning Board granted it — but made sure to note it was allowed only because the project is “in process.” (That’s reassuring... sort of.)
Blogger’s Opinion:
When will the Village finally say “enough” to the endless march of apartment buildings? At this rate, once all the proposed projects on Main Street and now Oakland Avenue are completed, crossing the railroad tracks into Port Jefferson won’t feel like entering a charming seaside village — it’ll look more like stepping into an urban redevelopment zone.
Did you know that about one-third of Port Jefferson Village residents already live in apartments — and that’s without counting all the projects still in planning?
If we keep approving more of these “multi-family masterpieces,” the character and charm that make Port Jeff so special will be replaced with concrete, traffic, and the faint echo of developers saying, “It’s a good fit for the Village.”
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