Oyster Bay to study relocation of public works unit

The Town of Oyster Bay has approved a $375,000 study on relocating its Department of Public Works from the North Service Road in Syosset.

Nassau Suffolk Engineering & Architecture PLLC will study the feasibility of the move from the 54-acre public works complex that the town sold last year.

Under the terms of the sale, the town was given five years to continue operating out of the site along the Long Island Expressway and then would have three years during which it could remain but would have to pay rent.

"We are looking at a number of sites," town Supervisor John Venditto said at last week's board meeting. Venditto said he did not want to disclose potential sites because it could affect negotiations. The town expects to begin reviewing the feasibility study by the end of this year, he said.

More than 400 town employees work at the departments of environmental resources, public safety, public works, the highway division and animal shelter at several buildings at that location. The town also services vehicles there and built a compressed natural gas fueling station to supply sanitation trucks that were converted to the cheaper gas. Part of the site is also an old landfill.

Venditto said the town would consider moving some of those departments to separate locations.

"Some sites that we're looking at might be big enough to house the entire complex," he said. "Some of the sites might not be, in which case we would be compelled to break it down."

Some potential locations have existing buildings that could be retrofitted but others would require new construction, he said.

The town sold the site to mall developer Simon Property Group and two partners for $32.5 million after a referendum.