Have you noticed all the building and development throughout the Town and the Villages of late. And, the good news is that most of it is taking place on sites that were dilapidated or sorely in need of upgrading.

Along Sunrise Highway, there is a new Genovese Drug store going in on the north east corner of Straight Path where the used car dealership was located. Further down, the Kentucky Fried Chicken company is putting up a new building.

Awaiting plans for a revival is the old Pathmark shopping center, a spot that we hope a new supermarket will take over because that store has and is important to the communities surrounding it, particularly residents in North Amityville who have no other supermarket nearby.

In West Babylon, a new bank building has been constructed on the site that formerly housed a fast food restaurant, and it looks beautiful.

In West Babylon, too, plans are underway for a Stop & Shop supermarket along Route 109, though those plans have not been finalized and residents are raising some issues with the proposal.

In Amityville Village, senior housing units are planned for Broadway and Sunrise Highway and the old, dilapidated Victorian homes have been torn down. Torn down, too, were the dilapidated homes and business along Montauk Highway at Ocean, where a new nautical park is underway.

Awaiting some changes in Amityville Village is the Snug Harbor Shopping Center, which is slated for a brand new "super" supermarket. The last we heard, negotiations are underway for that site and while plans have not been finalized, the departure of the other anchor stores makes it clear that the owners are getting ready for something.

In Copiague, a large senior citizen complex is nearly completed which took over a old manufacturing site across from the Long Island Railroad. It looks beautiful already.

In Babylon Village, a residential home along Montauk Highway is being renovated into offices and a section of that parcel, which faces a residential street, has been subdivided for housing.

Of course, we await what are bound to be some of the most significant changes in the Town of Babylon as they relate to the redevelopment of the Route 110 corridor, the economic engine that will fuel the town’s economy for the future, according to Babylon Town Supervisor Steve Bellone.

There’s no doubt that we are in a wavering economy and where it is all going to end up is uncertain. What is certain however is that the development we are seeing reflects the changes within our community which include an increase in the population of senior citizens and young families. Low interest rates and responsive governments working with property owners and developers to bring about these changes, while maintaining the residential character of our neighborhoods is always the challenge. That makes the input and participation of the public working with committed public officials vital to our future. As we move forward, let’s do it together.