Farmingville moves forward with $100M Arboretum mixed-use project

The long-delayed Arboretum project, a $100 million, 292-unit community planned in the Suffolk County hamlet of Farmingville, is back on track after the Brookhaven Town Planning Board voted 6-to-0 earlier this month to approve a site plan for the mixed-use development, Newsday reported. The Arboretum hit a snag last year after its developer, the Patchogue-based Kelly Development Group, sought to first finish another 139-unit complex in Selden. Michael Kelly, head of the development firm, also recently told Newsday that he needed to line up new financial backers for the Arboretum following the sudden death at 60 of Michael McHugh, the former president and CEO of Melville-based Continental Home Loans. Kelly said that instead of initial plans to sell all or most of the Arboretum’s units, its developers will now look to rent them in response to growing demand for affordable housing from younger and older residents in the area. The proposed development will rise on a 65-acre tract and include single-family homes and apartments, a public park and pond, a pool and barbecue area and a 5,500-square-foot community center. Newsday noted the Arboretum’s plans also include 12,000 or more square feet for one or more restaurants, as well as 12,000 square feet of office space. [Newsday]