HARC was created to unite the civic groups within the Town of Huntington to ensure zone changes reflect community support and hold town officials accountable to prevent spot zoning.
UPCOMING EVENTS
The All Important Republican (GOP Primary) is on Tuesday June 24, 2025
Early Voting Dates for the Republican Primary
*June 14 thru June 22 (at the Dix Hills Fire Department on Deer Park Avenue north of the Northern State Pkwy)
*Primary Voting on June 24 (at your regular polling location)
HARC NY 3/26 meeting regarding the impact of the Melville overlay district on the HHH schools.
By Councilwoman Brooke A. Lupinacci
Like most people, our home is our largest investment financially and emotionally. When we purchased it, the quality of the local school system was an important part of our decision.
When I put my children on the school bus every day, I expect them to receive a top-notch education.
As Councilwoman, I expect the same for your children as well.
That’s why I was disturbed last year when a communication sent from the Half Hollow Hills school board to Supervisor Ed Smyth was completely dismissed.
On June 11, 2024, the Half Hollow Hills School Superintendent and Board of Education President wrote to Ed Smyth objecting to numerous issues with his efforts to bring thousands of high-density apartments to their district. (See link below)
More specifically, the lack of impact studies for their own planning efforts.
Since impact studies were not available, the district conducted their own review and found that Ed Smyth was using faulty figures to estimate projected student enrollment that would result from the addition of thousands of high-density apartments.
Ed Smyth stated that eleven apartment units will produce one school-age child, but ACTUAL data from Half Hollow Hills existing communities shows that number to be DOUBLE Ed Smyth’s figure.
The district also noted that Ed Smyth’s project would cause a massive tax increase, to the tune of $20.5 million dollars, to open new schools buildings, hire new teachers and security staff, hire more buses and bus staff for the new children who would be attending from Ed Smyth’s apartment complexes.
Combined with tax breaks from the Suffolk County IDA, it could be even more catastrophic.
The letter concluded that Ed Smyth’s project would require the school district to pierce the tax cap.
Ed Smyth didn’t care, let the school district and higher school taxes pay for it.
Anticipating a budget defeat with residents refusing to accept massive tax hikes as result of Ed Smyth’s project, they noted that a reduction in education opportunities for students would be the result.
The HHH school board was extremely reasonable in their request to Ed Smyth: do the proper impact studies to accurately actually forecast costs on the district for planning purposes and start the project at only 400 apartments instead of thousands of apartments, to measure the impact and guide next steps.
Unfortunately, Ed Smyth dismissed their letter and rammed through his project to bring thousands of high-density apartments without any impact studies to Huntington and their school district.
That’s why, among many other reasons, I voted against Ed Smyth’s high-density apartment project.
I believe when school districts speak, we should listen.
https://www.hhh.k12.ny.us/district/announcements/announcements-post/~board/announcements/post/letter-to-the-town-of-huntington-melville-redevelopment-plan