Cutchogue Hears 36-Unit Affordable Housing Proposal

The East End has become a death trap for affordable housing projects, but another developer is giving it a go in Cutchogue.

Hampton Bays-based Cruz Brothers Construction presented a preliminary proposal for 29475 Main Road to the Town Board, the Suffolk Times reported. The firm hasn’t done any ground-up affordable housing developments before, but does have experience in property management of such properties.

The proposal for North Fork Villas calls for 36 affordable rental units across the three-acre parcel. There would be six two-story buildings in the complex, each having two one-bedroom units and four two-bedroom units.

All of the properties would include a small outdoor patio or deck. There would also be two 1,100-square-foot storage buildings, a small office building and 75 parking spaces.

It’s early days yet for the developer, which heard potential concerns from the town’s housing review committee. Among the changes Cruz may need to make are considerations of wastewater treatment and the incorporation of some three-bedroom units.

The board is set to keep considering the preliminary proposal. Town Supervisor Scott Russell expressed optimism that the early introduction of the 36-unit project could help the process move along more seamlessly for everyone involved.

“It’s a bit more thorough vetting process before it gets too far down the pike,” Russell said of the committee.

There are plenty of developers who may have benefited from a more deliberate approach to affordable housing in the area. Adam Potter recently revived an affordable housing development in Sag Harbor, but cut the number of units proposed in half after strong community pushback and a lawsuit.

Rona Smith tried to bring the Cutchogue Woods affordable housing project to the eponymous hamlet, but the 24-unit development faced resistance at every turn, leading the Southold Planning Board to spike it.

— Holden Walter-Warner