Babylon councilwoman votes against peers on farm development report

The Babylon Town board saw its first “nay” vote in nearly a decade last week, as a council member declined to accept the environmental report for a proposed development in Wheatley Heights.

Councilwoman Jackie Gordon was the sole dissenting voice in a 4-1 vote to accept the final supplemental environmental impact statement from Gustave Wade. Wade is seeking to turn 16.09 acres on the southern end of his 32-acre Colonial Springs Farm into an apartment complex with 264 one- and two-bedroom rental units.

There has not been a dissenting vote on the town board since April 2009, according to town spokesman Kevin Bonner. That vote was by Tony Martinez against the awarding of a bid for work at the South Great Neck Marina.

Gordon said neither she nor any of the board members had seen the newest version of the environmental report, which includes responses to written questions and concerns by 26 residents.

“I felt like I had to oppose it, at least until I see the report myself and what mitigations are offered,” said Gordon, who has been on the board since 2006.

The “acceptance” of the final report is procedural and the board still must vote to adopt the report after a 20-day comment period, and then vote on the required rezoning of the property. Yet a dozen residents showed up to voice their opposition to the proposal before the vote.

Many in the community, which is made up largely of homeowners, said the proposed development is too dense and will result in increased traffic and environmental issues and will place a burden on the school district.  

“We’re only but 1.4 square miles,” said Clifford Stubbs, a 30-year resident of the hamlet, which has a population of about 5,100. “How much can we handle?”

Gordon said the speakers also influenced her vote.

“You have residents coming up here who have lived in this community for 25, 32, 44 years,” she said. “They have endured the growth of additional density and they are OK with that. But this, all at once, is not natural growth.”

Bonner said the town will place the report on its website.

By Denise M. Bonilla

denise.bonilla@newsday.comdenisebonilla

Denise Bonilla has worked at Newsday since 2003 and covers the Town of Babylon, including the villages of Lindenhurst and Amityville.