Variance Ruling Shrinks Matinecock Court

Fourteen units will be shaved off the proposed in East Northport as a result of a Suffolk County variance ruling announced last week.

The Suffolk Department of Health Board of Review denied a request from Housing Help, the nonprofit entity behind the project, on May 17 to reduce the minimum distance requirement between an on-site sewage treatment plant and the housing units from 200 feet to 75 feet. The denial will reduce the number of planned units on the 15-acre parcel from 155 to 141 as a result.

Two other variance requests were approved. The approvals reduce the minimum distance requirements between the proposed sewage treatment plant, an LIRR station and a LIPA substation, narrowing the distance between the plant and the LIPA substation down to 25 feet.

Housing Help Executive Director Susan Lagville told Newsday that her organization will now begin designing the sewage treatment plant according to the revised number of units and will work with the Department of Health in each step. She was not immediately available for further comment on Monday.

Anti-Matinecock Court group "" has been fighting the project with support from The Greater Huntington Civic Association and vowed to pursue legal action at a meeting in March if the variances were approved.

"We're disappointed with the ruling," Stop Matinecock Court leader Chris Triolo said Monday, adding that his group takes particular issue with the reduced distance from the LIPA substation. "We don't understand how Suffolk County Department of Health Services can grant a variance of this distance and we are looking forward to a written statement from the Department for their reasoning."

Triolo said that his group will use the county's explanation to determine their next course of action and will also contact County Legislator William Spencer.

"Anything less than 150 [units] is beneficial to the community, but we're really not happy until the project is completely abolished."

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