As Huntington Town Board scraps ADU proposal, residents urge greater development oversight

By Raymond Janis

A townwide debate over accessory dwelling units came to a conclusion Tuesday, Aug. 8, with the Huntington Town Board opting not to advance Councilwoman Joan Cergol’s (D) proposed code amendment to sanction basement apartments and detached garages as secondary living spaces in single-family homes.

Lois Hayn, one of the attendees, added some context to the discussion. She told the Town Board that the code amendment was part of an ongoing local opposition effort to resist the “ever-increasing congestion that plagues this town and a Queens-like atmosphere that has taken a huge toll on our quality of life.”

Desiree Ben, a member of Harp the Alliance of the Responsible Civics, reflected upon the public effort to resist the code amendment.

“Huntington’s at a tipping point,” she said. “The people spoke, they were organized and you heard.”

She inquired about the overall planning of the town. She said the ADU reversal was a matter of the town overseeing and guiding the development of the area.

“I don’t think anyone here is against development, but development done thoughtlessly and without a master plan can really decrease the value in the single-family home areas and put that value right into the pockets of developers,” she added.

To see the video of the entire meeting, go to huntingtonny.gov/meetings.