Answers sought on Wal-Mart expansion plan

Local residents are continuing to demand answers as to why a planned expansion of the Wal-Mart in East Farmingdale is still being reviewed by the Town of Babylon.

Dozens of residents have attended the last two town board meetings - presenting a petition at the first with more than 2,000 names in favor of the expansion, and asking at the second why the application, which was submitted in February 2009, has not been addressed.

Wal-Mart is seeking to expand by 59,000 square feet onto an empty parcel it owns on the south side of its store on Route 110. The expansion would result in Long Island's first Wal-Mart Supercenter and would include fresh fruits and vegetables as well as a deli and bakery, Wal-Mart spokesman Phil Serghini said. The expansion would bring 85 permanent jobs and 100 construction jobs, he said.

Serghini said this has been one of the longest approval processes he's ever seen. "They really haven't acted in any way on our application," he said. "A lot of people are scratching their heads and would like the town to move forward."

Town spokesman Tim Ruggeri said the application is still under review by the planning department. Ruggeri said the department's traffic engineer has concerns about how the expansion might impact traffic in the Route 110 area, already a major commercial hub. Ruggeri said a new traffic study has not been commissioned but remains a possibility.

"You have to take a look at how it affects the surrounding area," said Ruggeri. "This isn't out in the middle of nowhere, this is in one of the most heavily traveled north/south roads on Long Island."

The town is also examining whether the expansion would impact parking, deliveries and garbage pickup, given that Wal-Mart would have a large amount of perishable foods. Ruggeri said these elements are part of every planning department review but the size of the proposed expansion has made the process more complex. Ruggeri declined to give an estimate as to when the commission would offer a decision.

Brian Watts, 51, of North Lindenhurst, a communications technician for Suffolk County police, said he represents residents in favor of the expansion. He said he has been unable to get an answer from the town as to why the process seems stagnant. "Nobody really seems to know why it is where it is and why it's taken so long to do anything," he said.

Also speaking out in favor of the supercenter are building trade unions, who said the construction will bring much-needed jobs to the area.