Brentwood residents take concerns on proposed scrap metal yard to public hearing

Residents have voiced concerns over a proposed scrap metal processing center that could bring as many as 100 trucks carrying 350 tons of materials daily through a Brentwood neighborhood.

Comments from about 16 elected officials and neighbors of the site led to a two-hour-long public hearing Thursday night.

For years, the site at 80 Emjay Blvd. operated as a solid waste transfer facility and brought in about 1,200 tons of refuse in more than 200 trucks daily, said Amy Burbott, owner of Kings and Queens Transload LLC of Brentwood, which recently purchased the 3.61-acre property.

She told the Islip Town Board at the meeting that the processed metal would be carted out on rail cars, likely about four each day, as opposed to the 12 used for solid waste.

"Our use is limited by the equipment itself, so the equipment cannot process more than 350 tons a day," Burbott said.

"So it's a significant reduction from what the prior use was."

The prior facility was destroyed by a fire in 2013.

Islip's planning board on March 19 unanimously recommended that the town board approve a zone change -- from Industrial 1 to Industrial 2 -- along with a special permit to allow for this type of facility.

The site's current zoning allows a solid waste transfer facility to operate, which the Industrial 2 would not, said Islip Planning Commissioner Richard Zapolski. New zoning would cut down on the truck traffic and smell, he said.

Among those who voiced their concerns was Assemb. Phil Ramos (D-Brentwood), along with members of the Brentwood Gardens Community Organization and Neighborhood Watch group, which consists of residents living near the industrial corridor.

"I've got a problem with this," said Edgar Rosado, a Macarthur Avenue resident. "I think you should . . . stop right now and have these issues addressed. How would it affect our community? How will it affect the kids that live there?"

But seven community members from Brentwood and Bay Shore told the board the project is needed to bring jobs to a community plagued by poverty and to help reduce the burden on property taxes.

"This is one of the fastest-growing, multibillion-dollar industries, and if anything, Brentwood should be proud that it's coming here," said Nelsena Day, a Brentwood resident.

A vote on the project was tabled to a later date as the town board awaits a ruling from the Suffolk County Planning Commission.