Country Pointe Estates in Kings Park advances with environmental review OK

The Town of Smithtown accepted the final environmental review of a $220 million luxury condominium project in Kings Park that addressed concerns over traffic, water quality and land preservation.

The Beechwood Organization is developing Country Pointe Estates, a 288-unit development spanning 71.1 acres on the corner of Old Northport and Lawrence roads. Of the 288 units, 267 would be zoned for the Kings Park Central School District, while 21 are to be in the Smithtown Central School District, according to the study.

The town board voted 5-0 to accept the completed final Environmental Impact Study on Tuesday. The Smithtown planning board is reviewing the project and must recommend a zone change to the town board for the project to advance. The town currently zones the area for single-family residential housing. The area must be rezoned for planned residential housing for the project to proceed. Twenty nine of the units — so-called villas or residential flats — would be allocated for affordable housing, the developer has said.

Some residents support the project as critical to expanding the hamlet's housing stock. Opponents say the project is too big for the community and would pave the way for future large-scale developments.

In the report, Beechwood addressed concerns over plans to clear more than 44 acres of "mature woods." The developer said it would preserve 10.3 acres of pitch pine-oak forest habitat and establish a large meadow habitat.

The developer also said a new sewage treatment plant will use membrane biological reactor technology to handle waste from the complex. The plant will have capacity for multiple potential developments. The technology is well equipped to filter emerging contaminants from the water supply, including "forever chemicals" known as PFAS, the developers said in the study.

Beechwood also is proposing signal modifications to mitigate expected increases in traffic at the intersection of Indian Head and Old Northport roads.

Steven Dubb, principal and president of the Beechwood Organization, called approval of the final environmental impact statement “an important step.”

“We believe Country Pointe Estates will present another much needed opportunity for seniors to stay close to family and friends, and young couples starting out,” Dubb said in a statement.

Michael Rosato, president of the Kings Park Community Association, which opposes the project, said approvals could pave the way for hundreds of new homes.

Rosato previously told Newsday his group members were worried the proposed complex could lead to the development of large housing developments on an adjacent 40-plus acre parcel.

The proposal was scaled down from a proposed 391 units to 288 to address community concerns about density and size, Newsday previously reported.

CORRECTION: An earlier version of this story misstated the size of the acreage of the planned Country Pointe Estates development.