Proposed plan for Jellyfish property recessed by zoning board; fate of project still unknown

Updated January 16, 2024: A public hearing regarding plans for the vacant Jellyfish property on 25A in Centerport will take place this Thursday, January 18 at 6pm at Huntington Town Hall. The proposed plan for the location would remove the existing structure and create a new multi-story, mixed-use building with a walk-out basement. The first floor is slated for non-medical office use with typical 9-5 hours, according to the applicant’s attorney, Michael McCarthy; it is not intended for retail or “wet use.” The second floor would have six apartments, two two-bedrooms and four one-bedrooms, with the third floor housing three additional one-bedrooms. A public hearing originally scheduled for August of last year was delayed due to the inclusion of inaccurate information in a legal notice at the time.

Article originally published on August 9, 2023
On August 3, a proposed plan for the vacant Jellyfish Restaurant property came before the Huntington Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA) by applicant RT 441 Owner LLC. The hearing notice inaccurately stated that the applicant sought a special use permit related to the property depth extension, causing confusion among residents. The ZBA recessed the hearing for a future date, at which time it will determine the next steps for a project that has raised concern among community members in Centerport and beyond. The date of that hearing has yet to be announced.

The plan proposed would remove the existing structure and create a new three-story, mixed-use building with a walk-out basement. The first floor is slated for non-medical office use with typical 9-5 hours, according to the applicant’s attorney, Michael McCarthy; it is not intended for retail or “wet use.” The second floor would have six apartments, two two-bedrooms and four one-bedrooms, with the third floor housing three additional one-bedrooms.

The plans were designed by Hoffman Grayson Architects LLP, who has done work for the Paramount Theater, Engeman Theater, The Northport Hotel and Huntington YMCA, and fully comply with the town code for new mixed-use buildings in the C6 zone, according to McCarthy. “The building was designed to meet all code requirements,” he said. McCarthy also noted that a steep slope analysis should not be mandated because his client is not requesting a zoning variance.

“We are not requesting any variances of the town code,” McCarthy said; instead the applicant is requesting permission to proceed with the elimination of restrictive conditions that were set in 2011 for the Jellyfish Restaurant, which includes mandated valet parking. The applicant also requested that the board reaffirms the business depth extension that was granted in 2011, which McCarthy says allowed for automobile parking and would serve that purpose under the proposed plan.

The property has been occupied by a restaurant for nearly 100 years, turning over from one concept to another throughout the years. A 2005 New York Times article states, “There are fewer losers in Las Vegas than there have been at 441 East Main Street in Centerport. The building seems cursed.” The article, which was a review of the Silver Swan, noted previous restaurants including Tides, Casa Del Mare and Johnny’s Crab House that “opened and shut in rapid succession.”

The Jellyfish Restaurant opened in 2012, after a year-long legal battle related to parking, outdoor dining and deck use. At that time, Town of Huntington officials granted Jellyfish owner Ralph Colamussi a variance to allow for additional parking and outdoor dining. Jellyfish closed in 2014. The building has since gone into foreclosure and was purchased by principal owners of the neighboring Mill Pond House.

In describing the transition from restaurant to the proposed plan for office space and apartments, McCarthy said, “It’s going to be much more benign and much more sleepy.”

Nearby residents and members of the Centerport Harbor Civic Association, however, voiced their concerns about the project, especially those related to the steep slope, parking and traffic, stormwater runoff and drainage, an increased burden on the environment, overdevelopment in historic areas, and whether there are other plans in the works that will impact the same area, particularly rumored plans for the Mill Pond House and a proposed walkway along the harbor, behind the buildings.

Neighbors also voiced concerns about the Jellyfish property parking lot currently being used by adjacent businesses Mill Pond and Water’s Edge, a wedding venue. Without that vacant space, one man suggested, cars from the restaurants may have to park on residential streets. Many also made note of the safety concerns along that area of 25A, which they said has become much more crowded in recent years, and the increase in neighboring wildlife, including the Centerport bald eagles.

The applicant is not requesting a special use permit or expanded parking of any kind, said Gerard Asher, chair of the zoning board. “There will be an opportunity for people to weigh in on the steep slope, height, and anything else depending on what the applicant proposes when he puts his final plan together and presents it to the planning board and planning staff,” Asher said.

The zoning board, he continued, must only address two issues related to the elimination of restrictive conditions and extension of building depth granted in 2011. After that, the applicant must go to the planning board, where he will be required to conform with all zoning codes of the TOH. The planning board will determine if the proposed building plan conforms to town code. The applicant will also have to conform to regulations put forth by the Department of Conservation regarding bulkhead repairs and the existence of bald eagles in that area.

At the end of the hearing, Chairman Asher announced that the zoning board decision would be recessed. The legal notice for the zoning board public hearing included inaccurate information, indicating that the applicant was pursuing a special use permit. Many residents who spoke asked for additional time before a decision was made, allowing people to obtain accurate information about the proposed plan.