Photo by Joe Turner

Site being considered for senior housing project; final zoning decision near

by Kristina Dodge

Lindenhurst Village officials said this week that they will be working to ensure that the site of the Narragansett Inn, which was totally destroyed in a dramatic fire last Wednesday, is safe and that the public safety is not compromised as demolition crews move in to take the charred structure down

"Our responsibility is for the public’s health and safety," said Lindenhurst Village Administrator Shawn Cullinane. "The New York State building code is the Bible we follow and while our people are on site because this is a major disaster, it is the property owners who have the responsibility of doing the physical work there."

Lindenhurst Village Mayor Linda Distler was at the scene for most of the day and said the job done by the volunteer firefighters was "overwhelming.

"They did an outstanding job of protecting this community and it is unfortunate that something like this has to happen to make you really understand how important all the training is about and the hours they spend hoping for the best, but preparing for the worst."

The fire broke out in the early-morning hours of July 18 and fire companies from the surrounding areas responded. The call went out 10:06 a.m. and Montauk Highway was closed off to traffic for hours. A New York State DOT crane and a Town of Babylon payloader assisted in making the fire scene safe. It took firefighters all day and well into the night to ensure that the fire and hot spots were fully extinguished.

Lindenhurst Fire Chief Artie Lohman said approximately 300 firefighters responded including those from every department in the Town of Babylon and West Islip. Also on hand was the Wyandanch-Wheatley Heights Rescue Corps.

"Our biggest concern was in protecting the surrounding homes and businesses," said Lohman whose volunteers made a determination early that the building was vacant. "No one went into that building; we didn’t want to risk a collapse."

Firefighters laid more than 12,000 feet of five-inch hose and used approximately 3 million gallons of water to douse the blaze. When water from the hydrants was insufficient, they laid hose down to the Sea Haven restaurant approximately 2,000 feet west of the site of the fire to get water from the canal there. "We just kept pouring water on it," said Lohman who praised the work of the volunteers.

"I was there several times throughout the day and night and it was amazing to me the dedication of the men and women who never went home. Their tireless efforts helped contain the fire and they were vigilant in protecting the surrounding businesses and residents. Their commitment to this community and its residents was outstanding."

By dusk, the fire was out and all that was left was the charred remains of the once-gracious catering hall, the scene of so many weddings and anniversaries, parties and other events. One woman described the scene as sorrowful, saying that the Inn, now gone, was the site of many happy family gatherings over the years. In the background the building was black against the early night sky and the balcony and circular staircase stood out ominously.

"It was quite an eerie scene," said Distler.

The site has been the subject of numerous Village meetings as its owners, Gary Passavia and Robert Curcio Jr., have been moving forward to get final approval to build a multiple-residence senior citizen housing complex there. They appeared before the Village board for a zoning change in the spring and the Village is still considering its final decision.

Cullinane said issues to be considered as the demolition moves forward are the location of gas lines and the presence of asbestos on the site.

The building, once a popular catering hall, is situated on the front portion of the property, which borders along Montauk Highway and there is sufficient space in the rear to accommodate demolition equipment and store debris safely without inconveniencing neighboring homes or traffic along the heavily trafficked highway.

Det. Chuck Dohrenwend of the Suffolk County Arson Squad said the department’s investigation into the cause of the blaze has not been determined but that nothing suspicious about the fire was discovered thus far.

Despite efforts to reach the owners, they were unavailable for comment. Carolyn James contributed to this story