Residents: Huntington food pantry is an eyesore
<p>The Iglesia La Mision church and food pantry opened its doors on the corner of Route 25A and Park Avenue in Huntington this week, but some residents are already calling the building an eyesore. “I welcome the church there,” said one resident. “What I don't welcome is the color scheme of the church.” Paul Warbergh, president of local preservation group Old Huntington Green Incorporated, says George Washington once spoke where the church now sits. He says while...</p>
News 12 Staff
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Apr 19, 2017, 10:01 PM
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Updated 2,571 days ago
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The Iglesia La Mision church and food pantry opened its doors on the corner of Route 25A and Park Avenue in Huntington this week, but some residents are already calling the building an eyesore.
“I welcome the church there,” said one resident. “What I don't welcome is the color scheme of the church.”
Paul Warbergh, president of local preservation group Old Huntington Green Incorporated, says George Washington once spoke where the church now sits. He says while a gas station sat on the property for decades, it fit in with the area's colonial heritage. Warbergh says he believes the current building's owner, Dominick Mavellia, painted the building out of spite because his efforts to develop the property were blocked by the town.
Mavellia says the building features colors from the church's logo. He says he's been harassed by the town ever since the paint job.
Huntington Town spokesperson AJ Carter says officials have contacted Mavellia about various code violations on the property, but paint color is not one of them.
The pastor of the church, who is not responsible for the paint job, says his church just wants to fit in and help members of the community.
“We want to be in the town to be a blessing,” he says.
The town says it is willing to work with the property owner on code violations related to safety and parking, and for his part, Mavellia says he plans on taking the town to court.
