Substandard Lot Project 
 
 
Zoning is the most fundamental and important mechanism that the Town of Brookhaven has to manage land use and development within the Town.  There are many basic purposes for local land use controls including:  prevention of nuisance conditions, protection of natural resources and open space, control of municipal growth patterns, mitigation of sprawl, preservation of property values and the local tax base, economic development and revitalization in business districts, the provision and maintenance of a balance between essential land uses such as affordable housing, protection and augmentation of the character of the Town’s neighborhoods, and enhancement of aesthetic qualities, to name but a few.  The proposed zoning revisions are specifically designed to advance many of these goals by providing appropriate dimensional zoning standards including appropriate development density, avoidance or mitigation of future development impacts, providing the legal framework for the transfer of development rights, creating additional means to preserve environmentally sensitive land, promoting the development of needed land uses, assisting in implementing various local and regional plans, and more.

The proposed amendments to the Town Zoning Code were created to address a number of shortcomings of the existing Code and provide new and innovative ways to guide land use and meet various community goals.  Although the existing Code has undergone recent modifications, there continues to be a need to update the existing regulatory framework to address more contemporary concerns using new and improved planning techniques and strategies.  Moreover, many portions of the current Zoning Code have remained unchanged or minimally changed since it was first adopted approximately 65 years ago.  Lots created prior to zoning and subdivision laws and review requirements lacked the benefits of modern planning considerations and have left a legacy of negative land development issues.

The proposed action addresses a variety of important land use matters.  It is designed to, among many other laudable goals, redistribute development density, preserve valuable environmental features, support “Main Street” economic development, promote growth in areas that are adequately equipped with the necessary capital infrastructure, ensure appropriate land uses and dimensional requirements, and stimulate the production of affordable dwellings for senior citizens and low and moderate income families.  Overall, the Town’s long-range goal is to provide a more effective zoning framework which will be consistent with recommendations that have evolved from various existing planning efforts, thereby protecting and, to a certain degree, revitalizing the character of the Town’s various resources and communities.