New Babylon planning commissioner hired at pivotal moment for town development

Denise Graziano, the new commissioner of planning and development in Babylon Town, has an approach for development projects that come before her agency.

Whether it's warehouses or luxury apartment complexes, Graziano said she zeros in on the project's economic benefit as well as the potential for community disruption. 

"I know that progress is important to the town; development is important to the town," she said. But Graziano said she works to "make sure the quality of life and impact of these projects is always considered."

"I can hear all sides and try to come up with the best solution," she said.

Earlier this month, Graziano took helm of Babylon's Department of Planning and Development after serving 20 years as an executive assistant to four former commissioners.

The planning and development department, which includes the town's building and rental divisions, is responsible for overseeing everything from home extensions to multistory apartment complexes.

Some of the larger projects in the works could have a lasting effect on the makeup of Babylon Town, officials said. 

Town Supervisor Rich Schaffer said he hired Graziano because she was the only one who "knows the department inside and out." 

Unlike other towns, such as Brookhaven, Babylon is home to few undeveloped tracts of lands.

Some of Babylon's biggest projects are "redevelopments," where builders are looking to convert previously used sites into newer facilities. Town officials have cited some of the top projects: In Deer Park, a developer wants to build a 310,500 square-foot warehouse to replace the former Pinter Brothers trucking depot. In Wyandanch, town officials are mulling zone changes to pave the way for a new 100-acre industrial park.

"We’re 97% developed already. So our challenge is to figure out how to redevelop existing sites that have become old, tired or abandoned ... " Schaffer said. The goal is to "increase our tax base and create either housing or economic opportunities for people." 

Redevelopment projects come with their own obstacles, said Larry Levy, executive dean for the National Center for Suburban Studies at Hofstra University.

"In well-developed suburbs, the last green or gray parcels are the hardest cases, which often pit people who are already there and like things the way they are, against people who see that there still is a possibility to add economic value and opportunity," Levy said. "The challenge is to find a balance that may have been missing in the early days of suburban development."

Newsday spoke with Schaffer, Graziano and Matt Esposito, the town’s senior planner, about the challenge of developing big and small projects throughout Babylon Town. 

The interviews were edited for clarity and length.

What is the greatest challenge for the town when it comes to development?

Graziano said one challenge is taking "sites and trying to make them better."

"We’re going to use what we have and try to create the best product to try and improve the redevelopment from what’s already been done," she said. She keeps traffic flow and noise issues top of mind. 

With redevelopments, Schaffer said, "the challenge is really dealing with the surrounding properties of what’s there and environmental cleanups on some of the properties."

Esposito said it's difficult to accommodate development in a town where many of the zoning codes were developed more than a half-century ago. 

"The town was zoned in the 50s, so some of these land uses and in general how we live has changed," Esposito said. "There’s bigger trucks, there’s higher warehouses, there’s more car traffic. You’re trying to fit a modern new development on these smaller lots. So you have to adjust the sites to the growing needs of the 21st century."

What are the most significant projects in the town's development pipeline?

Graziano said a proposal for an industrial park in Wyandanch is the "biggest project ever in the town." 

Bristol Group, a San Francisco-based developer, wants to build a 100-acre industrial park in Wyandanch.

"It’s kind of nice to see something that large from the bottom up," she said.

The old Pinter Brothers trucking depot site in Deer Park, Schaffer said, had been a scourge for years. Now the property is being redeveloped into a logistics warehouse with office space. 

"Over the years it was pretty much abandoned and had become rundown and a real problem for the community," he said. 

A planned housing development on state-owned land in East Farmingdale would also be a welcome improvement for the town, Schaffer said. That site was used by Fairchild Republic and has sat vacant and been an eyesore. The property did not generate any tax revenue, he said.

Are high-profile projects like these the planning department's main focus?

"Yes," Schaffer said. But he said the town balances large projects, "along with every other residential improvement, the solar panels, the plumbing permits. Those are like the everyday bread and butter of the department, those are what make the town work."

By Denise M. Bonilla

denise.bonilla@newsday.comdenisebonilla

Denise Bonilla has worked at Newsday since 2003 and covers the Town of Babylon, including the villages of Lindenhurst and Amityville.