HUNTINGTON, NY – June 5, 2026
A proposed McDonald’s in Huntington Station packed the zoning board room and brought out strong opinions from neighbors. NYU Langone’s newly announced Melville hospital plan surprised the community and immediately sparked questions about healthcare access, traffic, jobs and growth. Primary election season is here, and Huntington Matters is asking residents to send in the questions they want congressional candidates to answer before June 23.
Huntington Matters continues its weekly YouTube Live podcast series, bringing neighbors the latest community news, upcoming events, local government updates, public safety information, and conversations happening across the Town of Huntington.
Hosted by June Margolin, Dana Richter, and Diane Schaber, the weekly livestream serves residents from Cold Spring Harbor to Commack, Asharoken to Melville, Huntington Station to Northport, and every hamlet in between.
This week’s episode featured summer events and farmers markets, upcoming congressional candidate interviews, community reaction to the proposed McDonald’s project and NYU Langone hospital proposal, several firearms-related incidents discussed during the Suffolk County Police Department 2nd Precinct community meeting, and this week’s air quality alert.
👇 Watch the full episode below and please subscribe to our YouTube channel.
What’s Happening Around Huntington
Summer event season is kicking into gear across the Town of Huntington, and the local farmers markets are back.
The Northport Farmers Market opens Saturday from 8 a.m. to noon near the beginning of Main Street in Northport. The Huntington Farmers Market returns Sunday from 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in the Elm Street parking lot, with local produce, baked goods, meat, fish, coffee and other vendor favorites.
Also highlighted this week were Christ Lutheran Church’s auction fundraiser in East Northport, Home Sweet Home Animal Rescue’s Barkin’ Brunch at The Refuge, the Huntington Town Board meeting, the Huntington Station Business Improvement District networking event at Nautilus, the Huntington Township Chamber of Commerce Young Professionals YPA Brew Day event at Six Harbors Brewing Company, the Walk Bike Long Island Summer Summit focused on e-bike and pedestrian safety, and The Addicted Brain education program focused on addiction, brain development, decision making, and risks facing teens and young adults.
Residents can find details for these events and many more on the Huntington Matters Community Calendar at HuntingtonMatters.com.
Primary Election 2026: Why Primary Campaigns Matter
Primary Election Day is June 23, with early voting running from June 13 through June 21.
This is a primary election for registered Democratic and Republican voters. The Town of Huntington is covered by two congressional districts, New York’s 1st Congressional District and New York’s 3rd Congressional District, which means Huntington voters may see different candidates depending on where they live and which party they are enrolled in.
In addition to congressional races, Democratic voters will also see the New York State Comptroller primary on their ballot. Huntington Matters is not conducting candidate interviews for the Comptroller race and is focusing this election cycle on the congressional contests that directly affect Huntington residents in both districts.
Huntington Matters has invited all six congressional candidates to participate in one-on-one candidate interviews. Confirmed interviews discussed in this episode included Mike LiPetri, Lukas Ventouras, and Chris Gallant, with additional interviews to be announced if scheduled.
Primary campaigns matter because they decide who makes it to the November ballot. The last election cycle gave Huntington a clear example when Maria Delgado’s primary campaign changed the choices voters saw in the general election. A primary can be decided by a small number of voters, but the result affects everyone who votes in November and everyone who lives under the decisions made by the people elected.
Congress makes decisions that affect taxes, Social Security, Medicare, veterans benefits, healthcare costs, prescription drug prices, inflation, jobs and the economy, immigration, small business issues, public safety, transportation and infrastructure funding, education, student loans, environmental protection, Long Island water quality, federal funding for local projects, disaster preparedness, government spending, national security, foreign policy, energy costs and housing affordability.
Huntington Matters is asking residents to submit questions for the candidates seeking their vote. Questions can be sent by commenting on the Huntington Matters candidate questions posts, messaging Huntington Matters, or emailing info@huntingtonmatters.com.
Hot Topics from Huntington Matters Community Forum
The proposed McDonald’s at the corner of Park Avenue and Pulaski Road in Huntington Station was one of the biggest community conversations of the week.
The Zoning Board Meeting drew a packed room and heavy public opposition from nearby residents. The application involves special use and variance requests related to use classification, parking, setbacks and signage, but the real fight in the room was about traffic, quality of life, pedestrian safety, the nearby railroad crossing, and whether that already difficult intersection can handle a drive-through restaurant.
Residents were frustrated. Some of the public behavior in the room was also rough. The hosts did not sugarcoat it. People have every right to oppose a project, speak passionately and demand answers, but the heckling and interruptions during parts of the hearing were embarrassing to watch.
No decision was made that night. The project remains under review, and further traffic analysis may be requested.
The hearing also generated discussion about Fair Meadow Park and the proposed Huntington African American Museum project. During the meeting, residents learned that a state-level action involving the property had occurred, opening additional questions about future plans for the site and what changes may be proposed moving forward.
Another major topic was NYU Langone’s newly announced plan for a hospital campus in Melville on Route 110. The reaction inside the Huntington Matters Community Forum was largely positive, with many residents pointing to improved healthcare access and new jobs as major benefits.
A Huntington Matters Community Forum poll showed the strongest response around improved access to healthcare, followed by jobs and economic growth. Some residents also raised concerns about traffic, overdevelopment, water use, wastewater capacity, and environmental impacts.
The proposal remains in its early stages and faces a lengthy approval process involving multiple agencies and regulatory reviews before construction could begin. If it ultimately moves forward, it could become one of the biggest changes in Melville and the Route 110 corridor in decades.
Neighborhood Watch
Neighborhood Watch remains one of the core parts of Huntington Matters, and this week’s update included several serious public safety stories from the Suffolk County Police Department 2nd Precinct.
In Greenlawn, police arrested Eric Giovanni Whilby, age 37, in connection with a domestic-related shooting on Leigh Street that seriously injured a 40-year-old woman. According to police, the suspect was located in New Rochelle with help from New York State Police and the New Rochelle Police Department. He was charged with assault in the first degree and criminal possession of a weapon in the second degree. As always, charges are accusations and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
At the recent 2nd Precinct community meeting, police also discussed a weapons and anabolic steroid arrest on Roxanne Court in Huntington Station. Probation officers conducting a house check discovered multiple firearms, weapon components and anabolic steroids, leading to weapons and controlled substance charges.
Police also reported an incident in the parking lot of the Huntington Hilton on Broadhollow Road in Melville, where officers responded to reports of shots fired. Investigators recovered shell casings and later recovered a Ruger .380 handgun connected to the incident. An arrest was made for criminal possession of a weapon and reckless endangerment.
The hosts also noted that investigators discussed several additional incidents and ongoing investigations during the meeting, underscoring the value of attending these community briefings.
Residents are encouraged to attend the next Suffolk County Police Department 2nd Precinct Community Meeting on July 7 at 10:00 a.m. at Harborfields Public Library in Greenlawn. Those unable to attend can send questions or concerns to info@huntingtonmatters.com and Huntington Matters will bring them to the meeting on their behalf.
Emergency Preparedness
This week’s emergency preparedness segment focused on the air quality alert issued for Long Island.
Air quality alerts are issued when pollution levels reach, or are expected to reach, unhealthy levels. Poor air quality can be caused by ground-level ozone, traffic emissions, wildfire smoke, wood burning and fine particles in the air.
Residents with asthma, allergies, breathing issues, heart conditions, or other health concerns should pay close attention to these alerts. Diane reminded viewers to watch local weather reports, sign up for alerts, check AirNow, and use common sense when the air quality level rises.
When conditions are unhealthy, limit outdoor activity, avoid heavy exercise outside, keep inhalers and medications nearby if needed, and check on neighbors who may be more vulnerable.
Connect with Huntington Matters
For more than 11 years, Huntington Matters has grown from what the hosts jokingly described during the livestream as an “ambitious volunteer project” into a full-time community resource hub serving residents across the Town of Huntington.
What began as volunteer work for 8 years has grown into a full-time hyperlocal media platform serving Huntington through HuntingtonMatters.com‘s Community Calendar, Business Directory, The Common Thread magazine, Huntington Matters Community Forum, Instagram, TikTok, and regular YouTube Live updates. Despite that growth, the mission has remained the same for more than 11 years – connecting neighbors, supporting local businesses, sharing information, advocating for the community, and strengthening Huntington through engagement and communication.
If what Huntington Matters does resonates with you, please support Huntington Matters by purchasing official “Best. Neighbors. Ever.” merchandise, making a donation, subscribing to the YouTube channel, or sharing our content with friends and neighbors.
Local businesses looking to reach Huntington residents can partner with Huntington Matters through advertising opportunities designed to help businesses get noticed, stay visible, and build trust with neighbors across the Town of Huntington.
To advertise, submit a tip, or suggest a topic, email info@huntingtonmatters.com.
Please note: Events are removed from the Community Calendar approximately three months after the event date, so some older links may no longer be active.
