Richard Blowes Responds to FRNCA Charges

Tensions escalated this week after members of the Flanders, Riverside and Northampton Civic Association were alerted to “troubling news regarding our battle with the town over affordable housing development in our area," by FRNCA vice president Vince Taldone.

FRNCA members after it was learned that plans were in place to conduct a direct mailing to the community to determine whether there is support for more single family, tax exempt rental houses for Riverside.

And now, Richard Blowes, executive director of the Southampton Town Housing Authority, is addressing the controversy.

"Our positon remains the same as it has since the very beginning," Blowes said.

Blowes said the goal is to reach out in the community through a mailer and to determine the sense of residents regarding whether they'd prefer to adapt a number of Riverside homes for affordable home ownership or rentals.

The reason for the mailer, Blowes said, is that Housing Authority member met with some Riverside community members who expressed a desire for affordable rentals.

"We were led to believe they were in favor of, and wanted, rentals," Blowes said.

He added that if, after the outreach, it is determined that public would like to see the five properties being developed for private affordable home ownership, after being deeded to the town by the county, that's what will happen. 

The 72-H properties were previously seized by Suffolk County for non-payment of back taxes. Closings are slated to commence soon to deed the properties to Southampton Town with the understanding that the town’s housing authority would rehabilitate the properties for use as affordable housing.

Blowes reminded that in the past, a similar situation existed with 11 homes the housing authority was set to develop as affordable rentals throughout Southampton Town, including some in the North Sea and Noyac area, two in East Quogue, and seven in Flanders. But, after the public spoke out against rentals, the housing authority agree to develop them as private affordable homes.

The situation in Riverside, Blowes said, involves a total of eight homes deeded to the town by the county, with five up for development now. Since Blowes said he was led to believe the community wanted rentals, he said he "felt it was important" to go back to the community and let voices be heard.

"If, in fact, they prefer to have home ownership over rentals, that's what we'll do," Blowes said. "I'm not sure why everyone is upset at this point. We're not doing anything that the community, as far as we know, is opposed to."

Blowes said the homes are being designed but that the decision can still be made to develop them for private home ownership. "This is very preliminary. Nothing has been decided that can't be changed at this point."

For some time, FRNCA has opposed the development of single family, property-tax exempt rental housing in the Riverside area. FRNCA members and other community groups believe those properties should be developed for affordable home ownership, not rentals.

FRNCA president Brad Bender has long said the houses should be utilized not for rentals, but for affordable home ownership where residents would be vested in the community. “We are not against affordable housing,” said Bender.

The proposal in question, he said, is for tax exempt properties for affordable rental through the Town’s Housing Authority. “Those properties pay zero property tax, thus shifting the burden of lost revenue to the homeowners in the district.” School, fire, ambulance and library taxes, Bender said, become the responsibiilty of the homeowners in that taxing district.

In other communities, Taldone added, payments in lieu of taxes, or PILOTS, have been approved to offset the costs of properties taken off the tax rolls.

Blowes said there has been "a lot of misinformation," and said the plan is to pay PILOT payments as a percentage of gross or net income in an amount that is determined to be equitable. Blowes said the expenses of the housing authority need to be met and said the PILOT payments might not materialize in the first year, but as time passes and things "become more financially positive," for the housing authority, a process will be established for fair and equitable PILOT payments in perpetuity. 

Down the line, Blowes said the Housing Authority may team up again with YouthBuild Long Island to refurbish another home, much as what was done recently on Ludlam Avenue.  

Southampton Town Supervisor Anna Throne-Holst said by conducting a survey, the town has the opportunity to glean a better understanding for just what type, if any, development options for properties exists, as well as what needs the community feels it has in seeing housing alternatives addressed in the area.

“If the town or housing authority does not utilize the properties, they will be turned over to other organizations that will,,” Throne-Holst said.

Bender added that the three other local community associations, the Riverside Revitalization Community Corporation, Bayview Pines and Water's Edge, voted in favor of the FRNCA's position before a resolution was delivered to the Southampton Town Board.

Taldone urged community members to attend the next Southampton Town board meeting at 6 pm. on Tuesday to make their voices heard.

Blowes said the miscommunication was discouraging. "We're trying so hard to help this community. But everything we do, some people just haven't been supporting us in any way. We're not going to give up," he said.

Do you think Riverside should develop the properties for home ownership or rental? Tell us your thoughts in the comments section.