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Steven Dubb Discusses High-End Community Living at Country Pointe Meadows

Steven Dubb, principal at The Beechwood Organization, talks about the new Yaphank development Country Pointe Meadows and why it’s a great fit for homeowners looking...

Steven Dubb Discusses High-End Community Living at Country Pointe Meadows

Steven Dubb, principal at The Beechwood Organization, talks about the new Yaphank development Country Pointe Meadows and why it’s a great fit for homeowners looking for a high-end community with close proximity to the East End, how the group is handling social distancing and more.

Tell us about the development of Country Pointe Meadows and how you approached designing this community.
We have a lot of experience on Long Island designing active adult–or 55-plus–lifestyle communities and are known for it. We’ve developed over 60 communities since my father, Michael Dubb, established Beechwood in 1985.

Though we are now seeing increased interest from New Yorkers wanting to move east, most of our buyers are Long Islanders. They are “rightsizing” from their big family, house but want to remain on the island near friends and family. They are typically empty nesters, couples or singles, who want a new home at great value with low real estate taxes. They also want care-free living, no more shoveling snow, mowing the lawn, leaky roofs or basements. They want brand new homes with airy open floor plans, not too far from friends and family and close to highways, shopping, beaches and recreation. That was what was so attractive about this location.

At Country Pointe Meadows in Yaphank, we’re building 400 new condominium homes. This is the for-sale component of The Boulevard, a master plan village, located on the former site of Yaphank’s Parr Meadows Racetrack. It’s adjacent to greenbelt trails and dedicated open space in Suffolk County’s Town of Brookhaven, just off the Long Island Expressway at exit 68N and the William Floyd Parkway. The development is hailed for its traditional neighborhood design and smart growth principles. Residents can walk, bike or drive to nearby offices, shops, restaurants, hospitality, public parks and open space across the entire 322 acres.

The grounds our homes are built on are spacious and sprawling, beautifully landscaped and include a gazebo, ponds and dog parks. The 11,000-square-foot clubhouse is a centerpiece where homeowners can socialize but also exercise.

There are townhomes and villas. What was the thinking behind making these distinct styles?
We have villas–spacious apartment style homes for single floor living–on the ground floor or second floor. We also have townhomes with living space spanning two or three levels.

Homes range from 1,470 to over 2,100 square feet of living space with two bedrooms and two or two-and-a-half baths, a loft, a den, a full-basement with the option for it to be finished, and one- or two-car garages. Buyers also get to personalize their homes working with our Design Center to choose their own designer fittings and finishes for the kitchen and bathrooms.

What makes Country Pointe Meadows special and unique in the real estate market?

For those who work, play or want to visit friends or family in the Hamptons, North Fork or parts west, they may not realize how close Yaphank really is. Exit 68 off the LIE is under 20 minutes east to Riverhead and 25 minutes west to Route 110. So it’s about location for sure but also the cost of living, in a quality constructed home with great quality of life.

Community living is more affordable than one may realize at first. Many are surprised to learn the move to a 55-plus community will actually save them money. If you make a line-by-line cost comparison of monthly carrying costs, between owning one’s existing family home and a new home in one of our communities, there are savings to be made on landscaping, pool maintenance, snow and refuse removal, homeowner insurance, security systems and gym/club memberships. Taxes are also comparatively less in community life. So our owners spend less and worry less with great quality of life. I like to refer to Country Pointe Meadows as a hidden gem.

Prices start in the upper-$400,000s for single-level living villas and the low $500,000s for townhomes with ground-floor master suites. Taxes start at around $3,700 for homeowners who qualify for the NY STAR program.

Talk about the importance of the Clubhouse and its features and amenities.

At the center of the community is a state-of-the-art 11,000-square-foot community clubhouse with a ballroom, card rooms, sports lounge with bar, fitness room, treatment room, concierge, activities director, two outdoor heated swimming pools plus tennis and bocce ball courts. Right now we’re all socially distancing so we’ve moved many of the features outside from exercise equipment to seating areas. When we can get back, residents will be meeting their neighbors at the bar for cocktails, playing cards, watching a football game or taking an exercise class.

Why is Country Pointe Meadows a great fit for someone 55 and up?

Our homeowners enjoy making new friends and keeping busy. Their new carefree lifestyle is almost like being on vacation, free of the burden of home maintenance. They also enjoy living in brand new homes at this stage in their lives.

Long Island Living: How to Choose a 55+ Community

MOVING FROM A private home to a 55-plus community is sometimes referred to as “downsizing.” But Michael Dubb, founder and CEO of the Beechwood Organization...

Long Island Living: How to Choose a 55+ Community

MOVING FROM A private home to a 55-plus community is sometimes referred to as “downsizing.” But Michael Dubb, founder and CEO of the Beechwood Organization of Jericho, prefers to call this kind of move “rightsizing.”

Rightsizing, he says, is when you’re ready to get rid of the big home – the stairs, the maintenance, yard – and go to a community where most of the living is on a single level and the big chores are done for you. “It’s that turnkey kind of living. It frees up your time to enjoy your life and your home, worry-free,” Dubb says. Dubb’s company set the benchmark for luxury, resort-style communities for active adults on LongIsland, first in Westbury, then Medford, and now with new communities in East Meadow, Plainview, Smithtown and Yaphank.

As you age, staying healthy, socializing and doing things that enhance your life take on greater significance. A development with an activity director and calendar of clubs, classes and events is a big plus. A well-equipped gym is also essential. Generally, bigger communities offer more amenities, such as indoor and outdoor pools, tennis courts, bocce, pickleball and open space for walkability with more opportunities for socializingand a greater diversity of activities from which to choose. Make a list of what is important to you and see ifthe community includes these things. Consider the location and make sure it’s close to things that you value. In many instances, family and grandchildren are the main reasons why people want to remain on Long Island. Is the community near things you want to be closer to, such as beaches, golf, farm stands or shopping? Security is also something to check off your list. A manned gatehouse and 24-hour roving security are more desirable and personal than card access. Residents can be assured their belongings are safe and that everything is being taken care of, including snow removal.

It’s also useful to compare the cost of community life to the savings you may make without the need for security systems, homeowner insurance, landscaping, snow removal, gym membership and entertainment.

WHAT ABOUT YOUR TIMELINE?

If you need to sell your house first, will the builder work with you on stretching closing dates or even help to find a rental during your transition?“It’s important to look at other communities by the builder and to see how the residents like living there,” Dubb says. “A reputable builder will also be there for any kind of warranty.”
Look for gourmet kitchens with top-of-the-line appliances, fixtures and countertops and good hardwood floors. “While you should not have to do much more to upgrade your new home (it’s an all-inclusive package), you should be able to hand pick kitchen and bath finishes with a visit to the builder’s design center,” Dubb says. Rightsizing also means moving to well-designed spaces inside and out. Does the community offer different style homes, for example, multi-level townhomes and single-level apartments? Do floorplans suit your lifestyle? Are layouts open with plenty of natural light? How far is the drive or walk to the clubhouse or shopping? Depending on your needs and time frame, you might prefer a home that’s ready to move into or one that can be built to your exact specifications. If the latter is what you desire, find a community that offers this option.

Boomers Can Retire in Style at Country Pointe Meadows in Yaphank

After putting his three kids through college, credit card industry veteran Mike Turano no longer had a need for his big custom-built Stony Brook home,...

Boomers Can Retire in Style at Country Pointe Meadows in Yaphank

After putting his three kids through college, credit card industry veteran Mike Turano no longer had a need for his big custom-built Stony Brook home, so he started eyeing a move down south.

But before he and his wife packed up and left New York, they stumbled upon Country Pointe Meadows in Yaphank, a luxurious 400-home condominium lifestyle community for adults aged 55-plus. A year after becoming its first resident last summer, he couldn’t be happier that they decided to stay close to their kids on LI — and are doing so in style.

“It’s very upscale,” he says. “For what you’re paying, I think this is total value. One hundred percent.”

Pricing ranges from the upper $400,000s to the upper $600,000s with real estate taxes as low as $3,900 — well under the $21,000 Turano was paying in property taxes in his previous home — at Country Pointe Meadows in Yaphank. It’s the for-sale, home-ownership component of The Boulevard, a 322-acre smart growth mixed-used development that will include retail stores, a park, dog park, hotel, baseball field, track, rental apartments, and assisted-living facility.

“It’s a great place to meet your neighbors and spend time with your family,” Turano says. “Knowing what Long Island costs to live, this really kept me here and it really helped us out and allowed us to continue a beautiful lifestyle.”

The development is being built in three phases, with phase one completed and nearly sold out. Phase two is currently underway and is a third has been sold, for a combined 65 units bought so far, with more in contract. Phase three starts in 2021.

Conveniently located right off exit 68 on the Long Island Expressway, a half hour drive from Syosset and near the gateway to the East End’s farms, vineyards, golfing, shopping, and waterfront — assuming residents can tear themselves away from their beautiful abodes.

“The level of finish and quality of the home, our open floor plan, the wood floors, the marble counter tops … There’s nothing like it in Suffolk right now in terms of retirement communities being built,” says Steven Dubb, a principal of the Jericho-based Beechwood Organization, Long Island’s largest homebuilder. “The condo lifestyle is what our residents are looking for.”

At the heart of the community is an active 11,000-square-foot clubhouse boasting a ballroom, oversized gym, bar, barbecue area, firepits, patio, pool, and all the amenities of resort-style living.

“It feels like you’re on a vacation,” says Maria Pini — like Turano, an empty nester — who moved to the community from Woodbury with her husband. “It’s really that kind of atmosphere. There’s no pressure.”

Of course, what makes a community great is not just top-notch houses with high-end creature comforts, but also quality people.

“We now have more friends than we could have possibly met anywhere else,” Turano says. “And they’re all just like us — the same exact story. They’re here on Long Island, they had the big house, the kids moved on, and this was their opportunity to stay on Long Island because the taxes are reasonable and the maintenance fees are reasonable. Everyone’s loving it here and I honestly can’t say a bad thing about it.”

The Beechwood Organization is hosting an open house at Country Pointe Meadows from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 12. The community is located at 1 Grace Hall Lane, Yaphank.