Town is being asked to rezone a 1.4 acre parcel adjacent to Bergen Point Country Club in West Babylon for senior housing units.

by Carolyn James

Bergen Point residents said their community has been saturated with multiple-residence developments and that a plan to add another 35-unit complex one on 1.4 acres on Muncy Road fails to take into account the environmental, traffic and quality of life issues it raises.

The developer, meanwhile, points to the need for senior housing, that the development is consistent with the surrounding area and that many of the residents' concerns are unfounded.

Local attorney Lou Petrizzo represented the developer, Frank Cassata, at a meeting June 5, before the Babylon Town Board, which must approve a zoning change in order for the project to move forward. It has already received planning board approvals.

"The community’s concerns expressed at the Planning Board hearings have been addressed and the alternate site plan before you, which we are asking that you consider, relocates the ingress and egress and eliminates the traffic on Muncy Road," said Petrizzo. "And, this project is consistent with the zoning changes approved by the town in the area."

Members of the West Babylon Taxpayers Association oppose the plan, however and are asking that the Town put a moratorium on this type of development throughout the town.

In a letter to Supervisor Richard Schaffer, William H. Hill, the associtaion’s president said that many residents agree there is a need for senior citizen housing and that they should be clean, attractive and well maintained. They contribute to the tax base while not placing estraordinary demands on town services and rarely increase local school population.

"But," he added. "There does come a time when we have to say enough is enough. We feel that the time has come to Muncy Road in West Babylon, particularly as it relates to senior housing."

At present there are 500 senior rental units on Muncy Road and that enough is enough; some might even say that it’s too much."

Initially, the developer had the curb cut for ingress and egress for the site along Muncy Road. That proposal is now changed and the entrance is on Kirby Lane, which faces the Bergen Point Golf Course and offers residents on Muncy Road relief from any additional traffic generated by the site.

The developer presented a traffic engineer’s report that showed an additional 8 car trips would be added to the 150 trips now generated during the peak morning hours, and an additional 10 trips, adding to the 190 generated at the peak evening hours.

Petrizzo said the developer is also planning to provide an easement to the town for a stream that runs behind the site in the event the Town found it was necessary to maintain the stream. "This plan helps ensure the town would have access to that site," said Petrizzo.

But residents, who made their opposition to the project known at the previous hearings before the Town’s Planning Board, said nothing has changed and that they continue to believe the plan is ill conceived.

"Should this project be permitted, the residential houses in the area will be surrounded by these type of units," said Glenn Smith, a resident of the area.

"We have the distinction of being the most densely populated in town and it is getting so much worse," said Patricia D’Angelo, another resident. "Something is being built on every single piece of property. I came out here from Queens to have a better life, and that is not happening."

Another resident said the site would be perfect for single family homes, but that the only reason the developer is proposing the multi-residence apartment complex is because it provides a better return on his investment. "Why can’t we have more upscale single family homes built in this town?" he asked. "Why does every single vacant parcel have to become a site for senior housing?"

Petrizzo said the developer wants to construct senior citizen units because that is more consistent with the area now than single family homes.

"It has become a multi-family area because the town has approved all of the applications for the developments there. It is now a situation where you have 200 to 300 multi family units with a few one=-family homes. You can’t unring the bell. This area has become multiple residence and the Town should let it continue with the approval of this zoning request.

Other concerns by residents included the ability for emergency vehicles to access the site; additional traffic on Bergen Avenue and Montauk Highway, already heavily trafficked roads and the possibility of flooding once the site is developed.

The town reserved its decision on the zoning change.

In other business, the board:

•approved funding for preliminary appraisals by Michael Haberman Associates for Snug Harbor Condominium in Amityville and Monitor Aerospace Corporation in North Amityville in connection with tax grievances filed by the property owners;

•authorized the partial demolition and removal, securing and boarding up of an unsafe structure at 435 42 St., Copiague. A town inspector found that an above ground pool at that site poses a safety hazard;

•confirmed new members to the North Amityville Fire Company, including John R. Rasdall, Charles Liccese, Deborah Owens, Devon J. Rhoden and Carlos Ramnath.

•approved $6 million in funding for the construction of a new municipal pool in North Babylon