In an effort to increase the inventory of affordable housing, the East Hampton Town Board voted unanimously last Thursday to reduce the minimum required lot size for detached affordable accessory structures on a residential parcel from 40,000 to 30,000 square feet.
The move followed a June 6 public hearing at which Tom Ruhle, the town’s director of housing, said the change of just one word in the town code — a number, in this case — was nonetheless important. The net effect of reducing the minimum lot size from 40,000 to 30,000 square feet, he said, would be “1,457 opportunities for people to create detached apartments.”
The restriction of a maximum of 20 affordable apartments per school district and 100 townwide will not change.
The Community Housing Opportunity Funds Committee unanimously supports the proposal, Councilman David Lys told his colleagues at a work session last month, and implementing the change would come at little to no cost to the town.
Detached affordable accessory structures were introduced to the town code in 2016, allowing such housing on parcels of at least 40,000 square feet. Just three property owners have signed up to participate, Councilwoman Sylvia Overby said at a May work session of the board. The hope is that by decreasing the minimum lot area, thus increasing the pool of eligible properties, more property owners will participate.
Affordable attached accessory apartments are at present allowed within a residence on lots of at least 20,000 square feet.
The maximum rent charged for such housing may not exceed standards set forth in the code, which is 110 percent of the fair market rent for existing housing as set by the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Nassau-Suffolk Metro Fair Market Housing Area — $1,548 for a one-bedroom unit in 2019.
Affordable accessory apartments can be used only for year-round occupancy by a town resident. Such apartments must be between 300 and 600 square feet. They must meet principal structure setbacks as set in the zoning code, except for front-yard setbacks, which must comply with accessory structure setbacks.
Decreasing the minimum lot size for eligible parcels will not change the character of a community, Ms. Overby predicted at the May work session, while the benefits would be many: More affordable housing would allow more youth and senior citizens to remain in the town, she said, and businesses would be better able to attract and retain employees.