Development could have been the theme of the July 9 Muttontown Village meeting. They set a date for the St. Dominic decision; discussed a law to prevent cabanas to be used as domiciles; discussed the Kirby Hill subdivision and a new planning board approach to development.

The decision on St. Dominic South Campus playing fields will be given on July 26. "Print that in red," said Zoning Board Commissioner Laura Shapiro. The planning board was designated as the lead agency to make the decision on the "Field of Dreams." The zoning board will act on their decision. The parcel has two uses: St. Dominic's playing field areas and retreat house and a 15-acre parcel that will have one house and a stable as well as direct access to the Muttontown Preserve.

Planning Commissioner Edwin Henn reported on several small cases and excellent progress on the Kirby Hill subdivision. The village has been meeting with the developers and had agreed that they could meet with representatives of their planning consultants, Fredrick P. Clark Associates to ease the process.

Now, instead of the developer bringing in completed plans to be critiqued, they have worked together right from the beginning.

The village has also been working to preserve open space and conserve water use, in the over 150-acre parcel.

In September the board will authorize the planning board to use state authorized land conservation zoning in the subdivision.

Mayor Murcott explained that by then they'll take the number of building units the property is allowed under existing zoning and then negotiate. The Kirby Hill site would have allowed 97 units but agreed to build just 80.

The site is two-thirds three-acre zoning and one-third half-acre zoning. The smaller parcels are located along Jericho Turnpike.

They are planning a buffer strip to move away from the noise on Jericho Turnpike, therefore the houses will start 100 feet from that road. In order to accommodate for the loss of the houses that would have been built there, the plans allow two to three half-acre houses to be built on a site zoned as three acres.

"It doesn't change the number of houses, it's just differently allocated. The state allows it as long as you follow their procedures. The result is you get a beautifully developed area and save as much undeveloped land as you can," he said.

In the three-acre zoned area, a lot of lots will be restricted in the amount of land that can be developed. It will be determined lot by lot depending on the number of trees on each site. "We are saving trees to keep the country look of the area. These will be very expensive houses in a beautiful area. We are trying to be as careful as we can," he said.

Muttontown's Village Board is acting before the problems occur. In the case of the cabanas, "We are redefining what an accessory building is," said Mayor Richard Murcott. "People are building cabanas that are very large. We are concerned with the future that it doesn't allow it be used for habitation."

Therefore, at the public hearing held July 9, the new Local Law 4-2001 was read. It states that an accessory building "or structure is one which is subordinate and accessory to the principal building on the same lot and used solely for purposes customarily incidental to those of the principal building." They have also added "A roofed accessory building shall not exceed one thousand square feet of building area, be more than 18 feet in height or exceed one story in height. An accessory building may not be used or occupied for overnight habitable purposes or rented as a separate unit."

At the end of the meeting they voted unanimously to accept the new law.