Southold to Re-Hear Affordable Housing Code

Southold Town will hold a public hearing next Tuesday, Aug. 9 at 4:30 p.m. on a zoning code amendment that would allow developers to build 12 affordable apartment or condominium units per acre, for a maximum of 24 units per project. Current zoning allows six units per acre.

Under an earlier version of the code change, which was placed up for public hearing and received generally favorable comment in June, the town board would have also had the authority to grant up to 36 units per site by decreasing the square footage of each unit. That section has been stricken from the new draft.

Developers looking to build affordable projects under the code change would go through a public hearing before the town board for a change of zone to “Affordable Housing District” and would have to select tenants who meet affordable housing income and residency requirements.

Southold Town Supervisor Scott Russell said at the June public hearing that residency requirements include documentation that tenants have already been residents of the community for three years.

Preference will be given to people living within the same school district as the development before residents of other areas of town are considered, and tenants would verify their income each year.

The full text of the new draft law is available here.