Town rejects proposed development in Eastport

The Town of Brookhaven has refused a proposal to build a commercial and office complex in the 1,500-resident hamlet of Eastport - a plan that opponents say would be too extreme for their community.

Two Bay Shore developers wanted to build Eastport Hamlet Centre, a 75,000-square-foot commercial and office complex, on 13 acres near Montauk Highway and Eastport Manor Road in the community. The project has been the subject of numerous public meetings in the four years since it was proposed.

But the town board voted Tuesday to deny a necessary zone change, and the project appears scrapped.

Developers Vision Construction and CMWV Llc proposed the development as a pedestrian-friendly downtown area with small- and medium-sized retailers - and no big-box stores - that would bring jobs and commerce to the area.

But about 40 residents at a recent public hearing said the project would bring undesirable suburban sprawl to a community they consider a quiet gateway to the Hamptons.

"A project of this size is way too big for Eastport," said resident Danny Gershonowitz, who added that it had the potential to cripple local retailers. "If we wanted to go to a big downtown area, we could've moved to Sayville."

The seven-member town board voted 5-0 to deny the zoning change, with Supervisor Mark Lesko and Councilwoman Connie Kepert abstaining.

The proposal was a scaled-down version of an earlier plan that had included 80 residences.

Kepert said she declined to vote because she believed the developers deserved the right to build. She said Eastport Hamlet Centre is "the type of project we should be approving" - a walkable urban center.

The developers have not decided "what, if anything, we would do next," said Tim Shea, a Hauppauge attorney who represents them. He would not say if another downsizing is an option.

Shea said the developers believed the project would have "provided a critical mass" of shopping and "complemented the existing downtown area."

The land will remain zoned for up to 12 single-family homes and a much smaller shopping area, said Councilman Daniel Panico, who represents the area. Panico said the town board agreed with the residents that "the magnitude was just too much."

He added: "Potentially changing the character of Eastport forever would put the existing small businesses in danger."

Eastport resident Andrea Spilka agreed. The developers "came up with a nice design," she said, "but it was a nice design that would have worked in a much larger community."