Babylon Town declines to vote on North Amityville fence company's bid to rezone
Amendola Fence Company at 1084 Sunrise Highway in Amityville on July 7, 2024. Credit: Newsday/James Carbone
The Babylon Town Board declined to vote on a fence company’s bid to rezone properties it had been using illegally for industrial use in North Amityville, putting an end to the company's quest to rezone the area.
The board voted 5-0 to adopt a resolution "taking no action" on the request from R.J. Amendola LLC to rezone seven properties from business and residence zoning to industrial zoning.
Amendola Fence Co., whose main building fronts Sunrise Highway, sought industrial zoning status for its retail store, warehouse and storage yard.
The board’s vote means Amendola will have to amend its application or submit a new application, town spokesman Ryan Bonner said. It cannot propose rezoning the residential properties, Bonner said.
Residents have complained about the property for years. They say the company’s operations have led to dust, noise and bright lights intruding on their homes.
Victor Emanuelo, a Farmingdale attorney representing Amendola, declined to comment.
Town officials said the company purchased the properties over the course of several years. It knocked down single-family homes and illegally used the land for storage. The town fined the company $7,000 in 2017. Two years later, Amendola began efforts to bring the properties into compliance.
At a Babylon Town Board hearing in May, dozens of neighbors complained about the company's operations.
Emanuelo said Amendola was trying "to accommodate the needs of the neighbors." But Town Supervisor Rich Schaffer said Amendola's "track record has been to just do whatever they want."
The board’s decision gives Amendola an opportunity to "fix their application and prove that they can be good neighbors ... and that they can change," Deputy Town Supervisor Tony Martinez told Newsday.
Had the board opted to vote on the rezoning request, Martinez said he would have voted no.
"They really were not good neighbors," he said. "The way they ran that place was just inappropriate; and there were multiple complaints from residents, and they were not responsive. They didn’t leave a lot of wiggle room for us to really work with them."
Jesseka Green-Gooden, 40, said lights from the fence company burn through her bedroom window all night, even filtering through thick curtains.
"I believe they were not going to make any changes that would have protected the community, and I’m happy that the board considered the well-being of the community," she said.
Margie Bloome, 72, said the board’s decision is "good news for the neighborhood." She said she expects Amendola to make another application to the board.
"We’ve just got to stay alert and fight it," she said. "That’s all we can do."
The Babylon Town Board declined to vote on a fence company’s bid to rezone properties it had been using illegally for industrial use in North Amityville, putting an end to the company's quest to rezone the area.
The board voted 5-0 to adopt a resolution "taking no action" on the request from R.J. Amendola LLC to rezone seven properties from business and residence zoning to industrial zoning.
Amendola Fence Co., whose main building fronts Sunrise Highway, sought industrial zoning status for its retail store, warehouse and storage yard.
The board’s vote means Amendola will have to amend its application or submit a new application, town spokesman Ryan Bonner said. It cannot propose rezoning the residential properties, Bonner said.
Residents have complained about the property for years. They say the company’s operations have led to dust, noise and bright lights intruding on their homes.
Victor Emanuelo, a Farmingdale attorney representing Amendola, declined to comment.
Town officials said the company purchased the properties over the course of several years. It knocked down single-family homes and illegally used the land for storage. The town fined the company $7,000 in 2017. Two years later, Amendola began efforts to bring the properties into compliance.
At a Babylon Town Board hearing in May, dozens of neighbors complained about the company's operations.
Emanuelo said Amendola was trying "to accommodate the needs of the neighbors." But Town Supervisor Rich Schaffer said Amendola's "track record has been to just do whatever they want."
The board’s decision gives Amendola an opportunity to "fix their application and prove that they can be good neighbors ... and that they can change," Deputy Town Supervisor Tony Martinez told Newsday.
Had the board opted to vote on the rezoning request, Martinez said he would have voted no.
"They really were not good neighbors," he said. "The way they ran that place was just inappropriate; and there were multiple complaints from residents, and they were not responsive. They didn’t leave a lot of wiggle room for us to really work with them."
Jesseka Green-Gooden, 40, said lights from the fence company burn through her bedroom window all night, even filtering through thick curtains.
"I believe they were not going to make any changes that would have protected the community, and I’m happy that the board considered the well-being of the community," she said.
Margie Bloome, 72, said the board’s decision is "good news for the neighborhood." She said she expects Amendola to make another application to the board.
"We’ve just got to stay alert and fight it," she said. "That’s all we can do."
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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