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Walgreen's plan for LaGrange draws West Islip residents' ire
That was the message West Islip residents had for the Walgreen's Pharmacy, which is looking to put up a store on the west side of LaGrange Inn. The proposal was presented at an informal meeting called by the West Islip Chamber of Commerce, Thurs., March 13. Originally scheduled to take place at the West Islip Library, it was moved to LaGrange and more than 350 people packed the meeting, telling the company in no uncertain terms that they opposed the plan. At times the crowd was angry and impatient. "Walgreen's would be totally out of place," said Tom Crafa of West Islip. "This (LaGrange) is something that has been around for a long time and we are going to boycott this store and run you out of business," said Chris Cafarelli, another resident. Formal plans have not been presented to the Town of Islip, but Town officials said that in informal discussions with the developers they made it clear that the Town wanted to preserve some of the history on the site. That is something Walgreen's plans to do. The building, built in 1760, has a rich history in the community. Since that time, however, it has undergone more than 14 expansions and additions, and now has a footprint of approximately 17,000 square feet. The historical portion, with a footprint of approximately 2,400 square feet, is to be restored under the proposal, if approved, and the building will be moved on to a new foundation approximately 20- to 25-feet north from its current location and 30-feet east, closer to Higbie Lane. Walgreen's which has hired historical builders, architects and engineers to do the work, expects to spend approximately $1.5 million to restore the building, according to West Islip attorney Lisa Pace, who is representing Walgreen's in its zoning application. That application has been filed and is expected to come before the Islip Zoning Board in April, though the case may be held over until Walgreen's has an opportunity to work with the community to gain some support, said Pace. Walgreen's has a 40-year lease with the owners of the property, but details of that lease were not available at the meeting, raising questions about whether the plan will move forward in the event the change is denied. Residents said they intend to lobby the Town of Islip to have the application denied. A small part of the northerly portion of the site is zoned residential. It is currently used for parking, but under Walgreen's plan, the parking would be moved further south, away from the homes, and a landscaped 25-foot buffer and fencing would be installed. Residents were primarily concerned with traffic, congestion, lighting, and changes to building that have become an integral part of West Islip's identity. "We have a school right here, a library and traffic is already terrible," said resident Patricia Romeo. "We (the community) keep giving to corporations and we are not getting anything in re- turn. Now you want to put in a drive through bank and a drive through pharmacy. We don't want it." Pace was peppered with questions from residents, some of who shouted out of turn to be heard. She said, however, that the Walgreen's company came to the meeting to listen to what the residents had to say, and to get input on what they wanted to see there, architecturally. One resident asked if the company was willing to change its traditional modern brick design for the pharmacy to blend in with the historical LaGrange Inn building, which is expected to house a bank and offices. Pace said that could be done. "We want your input," she repeated to the crowd. One resident said the restored building should be used as a Bed and Breakfast, while another said the area could use a nice, quaint motel. Still another, Tony Esposito, said it was clear to him that Walgreen's, with a signed lease in its back pocket and its ability to put up its pharmacy under current zoning laws, is "railroading the public." The site is historical but not on the New York State Historical Registry because of its current condition. Pace said one option is to restore the building and apply for that designation.
"We are not here to force something on the community," she said. "We want to hear your thoughts and listen to what you have to say about architectural design."
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