Beechwood Homes? No One Knows

Beechwood Homes is hailed as a master developer and revered for its Yaphank development. “The Boulevard” is coming to Mastic Beach in its attempt to revitalize its downtown area. If the new Beechwood community that is planned to be built is anything like the one in Yaphank, you will know it is out of reach for many in Mastic Beach.

The average rent varies at The Boulevard from the lowest point of $3,121 for a 885 sq ft., 1 Bed, 1 Bath to the high end of $4,895 for a 2 bed, 2 bath at 1,385 sq ft. The average per capita income of someone living in Mastic is $32,491 with an average rent of $1,864. Even more telling that these units are not affordable and not for Mastic Beach is the stunning poverty rate of 18.8%. Local community leaders are concerned over the affordability of units for residents.

Ava Torres, President of the Mastic Beach Chamber of Commerce said of the plan that encompasses Beechwood, “The Redevelopment of Main Street leaves very little to commerce which is normally a large factor in the redevelopment of Main Street.” There is also very little information about the average rent of a 1 bedroom,1 bathroom for the future development. “This is so at the beginning phases we don't have a handle as to how large a scale this will be and the impact on business as well as homeowners,” said President Torres.

This development’s approval comes after the approval of the Forge River sewer extension project in October 2021. Brookhaven Deputy Town Supervisor Dan Panico is excited about the development plan and only holds optimism. “Brick by brick, and block by block, every action we take is in furtherance of writing a new positive chapter in the history of Mastic Beach.”

Beechwood representatives Elysa Goldman and Edward Pleva discuss the massive project with members of the community at a chamber meeting in April. File Photo

According to Beechwood’s “Mastic Beach Proposed Master Plan” some of the goals highlighted are to eliminate properties as identified by the Blight Study, build mixed use housing, create public recreation that connects the community to the waterfront, among many other objectives. The primary concern of such projects is the “pushing out” of existing residents and gentrifying the area. The process of Gentrification has occurred throughout Long Island, most notably in Patchogue. This process rebuilds dilapidated and abandoned structures then brings in affluent residents to housing developments that are out of reach to the original residents of an area. This then leads to businesses that cater to such residents having to be built. Starbucks, boutiques, pricey restaurants and bars, and other business models that cater to those with excess income. The key thing to note is that many of those who live in the area originally are not able to afford these places and that is by design. Eventually, a majority of the businesses that existed before this process either get bought out or driven out with their original client base as they can no longer afford to live there. This results in a complete replacement of the population of a town, forever changing the culture and landscape of the area.

Steven Dubb, Principal, The Beechwood Organization was able to address some of the above concerns. When asked of the economic impact on Mastic Beach, Dubb said, “We don’t yet, but will, have an economic impact study. What we can say is we expect this project will be a roughly $400 million investment in the Mastic Beach area, create local construction and permanent jobs, and improve property values in the surrounding area.” This led to questions surrounding the impact on low income residents and the effects of gentrification. When asked, “Will this housing development drive out low income families from the area?” Dubb answered “Our goal is to be inclusive not exclusive but there are homes now in the Neighborhood Road Redevelopment Area (NRRA) that are in disrepair, illegally rented and illegally occupied. Our plan is to replace such poor quality housing with well constructed new housing that will help to lift the community.” The Beechwood Property, who Dubb admitted does not yet have a name, will have 90% of the units available at “market rate” and 10% will “meet the Town of Brookhaven affordable housing requirements which, as far as we know, requires 10% of the housing to be “affordable” according to Dubb.

While it is always appreciated by both poor and rich to have a clean and safe place to live, politicians and developers must find a way to achieve such a goal without population displacement. Low income earners need a place to live too, after all they are the ones running the boutiques, fancy bars, restaurants, and Starbucks in the affluent areas. In this quest to redevelop Long Island, we are forgetting the people who build and run the island on a daily basis. This is resulting in a brain drain with young people feeling their backs against the wall, often being faced with the questions, “What am I going to do? Where am I going to go?” Then they are finally left with the disheartening reality of the answer they usually come to, “I can’t afford to live here.”