Babylon mulling zoning change needed for new Wyandanch industrial park
Pictured is a rendering of one building that would be part of Suffolk Technology Park, a proposed industrial park in Wyandanch that couldn't be built unless Babylon Town officials made a change to zoning code and other approvals came through. Credit: Ware Malcomb
Babylon Town may create a new type of zoning that would help pave the way for the construction of a proposed 100-acre industrial park in Wyandanch — what would be the biggest development in the town in decades.
It would require a new zone, dubbed Planned Industrial Park 2, because the town doesn't have a zoning code for industrial parks. The town's Planned Industrial Park 1 code, which was adopted in 1980, applies specifically to a North Amityville industrial park.
Along with its project plan, San Francisco-based developer Bristol Group submitted language for the zoning code change to the town, before Babylon officials made some revisions to that code proposal, according to Rachel Scelfo, the town’s planning commissioner.
The proposed zoning change will be the subject of a public hearing this summer that hasn't been scheduled yet, she said.
Babylon's town board must approve the creation of the new code, the zoning change for the site and an environmental review of the project, she said. The planning board would have to approve the site plan, she said.
In February, Bristol submitted a proposal to the town for nine one-story buildings — a total of 1.6 million square feet — on 100 acres it wants to lease from Pinelawn cemetery. The property runs from Little East Neck Road to North 28th Street and from south of Circle Drive to Long Island Avenue.
Before a lease could happen, the state cemetery board would have to approve the use of the land for the project, according to Mercedes Padilla, a spokeswoman for the New York State Department of State, which oversees the board.
Padilla said in an email the board is doing “a coordinated review of the application through the State Environmental Quality Review Act and has not made a final decision.”
A cemetery spokeswoman declined to answer questions about the project or the lease.
Bristol plans to sign a 99-year lease with Pinelawn to develop the land, according to Melville attorney Bram Weber, who represents the developer.
He said the complex would be for “light industrial” uses, including assembly, distribution and warehousing and would bring 1,500 to 2,500 jobs to the area. The attorney said the development wouldn't be for mass distribution or large-scale warehouse uses.
“This is really intended for businesses that are on Long Island already that have outgrown their current locations or are looking for more modern, better located, better constructed industrial space,” Weber added.
Bristol said in documents submitted to the town there would be three to six tenants in each building, with a total of 40 companies in what would be known as “Suffolk Technology Park.”
The company first presented aspects of the project publicly two years ago in meetings with community members.
While some Wyandanch civic leaders have expressed support for the project and the estimated $3.1 million in additional tax revenue it would provide for the Wyandanch school district, civic leaders in nearby Wheatley Heights haven't been as enthused.
Concerned Taxpayers of Wheatley Heights/Dix Hills civic leader Chris Black said the group is “working with Bristol on requests that were made by the community” but declined to comment further.
Damion Fearron, 49, a Wyandanch resident who lives across from the proposed development site, said he's concerned it would bring increased traffic and other problems to what he said is a quiet neighborhood.
“I don’t see the need for an industrial park here,” he said.
Bristol is doing traffic and parking studies and preparing an environmental review, Weber said. If the development is approved, the company aims to have shovels in the ground next year, according to the attorney.
Babylon Town may create a new type of zoning that would help pave the way for the construction of a proposed 100-acre industrial park in Wyandanch — what would be the biggest development in the town in decades.
It would require a new zone, dubbed Planned Industrial Park 2, because the town doesn't have a zoning code for industrial parks. The town's Planned Industrial Park 1 code, which was adopted in 1980, applies specifically to a North Amityville industrial park.
Along with its project plan, San Francisco-based developer Bristol Group submitted language for the zoning code change to the town, before Babylon officials made some revisions to that code proposal, according to Rachel Scelfo, the town’s planning commissioner.
The proposed zoning change will be the subject of a public hearing this summer that hasn't been scheduled yet, she said.
Babylon's town board must approve the creation of the new code, the zoning change for the site and an environmental review of the project, she said. The planning board would have to approve the site plan, she said.
In February, Bristol submitted a proposal to the town for nine one-story buildings — a total of 1.6 million square feet — on 100 acres it wants to lease from Pinelawn cemetery. The property runs from Little East Neck Road to North 28th Street and from south of Circle Drive to Long Island Avenue.
Before a lease could happen, the state cemetery board would have to approve the use of the land for the project, according to Mercedes Padilla, a spokeswoman for the New York State Department of State, which oversees the board.
Padilla said in an email the board is doing “a coordinated review of the application through the State Environmental Quality Review Act and has not made a final decision.”
A cemetery spokeswoman declined to answer questions about the project or the lease.
Bristol plans to sign a 99-year lease with Pinelawn to develop the land, according to Melville attorney Bram Weber, who represents the developer.
He said the complex would be for “light industrial” uses, including assembly, distribution and warehousing and would bring 1,500 to 2,500 jobs to the area. The attorney said the development wouldn't be for mass distribution or large-scale warehouse uses.
“This is really intended for businesses that are on Long Island already that have outgrown their current locations or are looking for more modern, better located, better constructed industrial space,” Weber added.
Bristol said in documents submitted to the town there would be three to six tenants in each building, with a total of 40 companies in what would be known as “Suffolk Technology Park.”
The company first presented aspects of the project publicly two years ago in meetings with community members.
While some Wyandanch civic leaders have expressed support for the project and the estimated $3.1 million in additional tax revenue it would provide for the Wyandanch school district, civic leaders in nearby Wheatley Heights haven't been as enthused.
Concerned Taxpayers of Wheatley Heights/Dix Hills civic leader Chris Black said the group is “working with Bristol on requests that were made by the community” but declined to comment further.
Damion Fearron, 49, a Wyandanch resident who lives across from the proposed development site, said he's concerned it would bring increased traffic and other problems to what he said is a quiet neighborhood.
“I don’t see the need for an industrial park here,” he said.
Bristol is doing traffic and parking studies and preparing an environmental review, Weber said. If the development is approved, the company aims to have shovels in the ground next year, according to the attorney.
Denise Bonilla has worked at Newsday since 2003 and covers the Town of Babylon, including the villages of Lindenhurst and Amityville.
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