Group sues Brookhaven over Meadows project

A local advocacy group has sued Brookhaven Town, saying its approval of Meadows At Yaphank -- a much-anticipated mixed-used development -- was hasty and environmentally negligent.

The town last month gave a Yonkers developer permission to build the 322-acre Meadows at the northwest corner of William Floyd Parkway and the Long Island Expressway.

The walkable village is to include 850 housing units, a 220-room hotel and 327,000 square feet of retail space; town officials have said it will bring thousands of jobs.

But earlier this month, the Open Space Council filed suit in State Supreme Court in Riverhead to try to reverse the town's approval. The suit described the approval as "rushed" and suggested that an environmental review of the project was haphazard.

The project would jeopardize drinking water and threaten the nearby Carmans River, which the town is attempting to protect through a series of proposed laws, said Karen Blumer, the group's vice president.

"We are at build-out," she said. "Your best option is to clean up [the environment]."

The town disputes Open Space Council's assessment.

Town environmental staff "performed a thorough review of the project" and "did not identify any significant adverse impacts," said Jack Krieger, a town spokesman.

It is unclear when Open Space Council's lawsuit could get a hearing in court, said Blumer.

Meadows At Yaphank, to be developed by AVR Realty, is to be located at the former Parr Meadows horse track. Representatives from AVR did not return phone calls seeking comment.

Brian Ferruggiari, spokesman for AVR, said last month that they "could have a shovel in the ground sometime next summer."

The project could be finished in 10 years, AVR has said.

Supporters say the Meadows' mix of uses will benefit the environment by taking cars off the road -- and that the project will include a $4.2 million improvement to a nearby sewage treatment plant.

Last month, the town board approved a critical zoning change that cleared the way for the project.

Richard Belsky of Shoreham spoke against the project and asked the board to suspend its vote and ensure "that there will be no environmental impact from this project."

But the Brookhaven board issued the zone change by a vote of 6-0, with Councilman Steve Fiore-Rosenfeld abstaining, because, he said, he did not have enough information to make a decision.

The Meadows project has still been subject to criticism from civic leaders, who feel it is too large for the area and will choke traffic.

"Nobody's getting out if there's a natural disaster," said MaryAnn Johnston, president of the Affiliated Brookhaven Civic Organization, an umbrella group that includes several smaller panels.