Wheatley Heights, Wyandanch neighbors form conservation group in attempt to thwart development plan

A group of Wheatley Heights residents united against a proposed industrial park have formed a conservation organization and are advocating for an actual park to be created on the parcel.

The Historical Conservation Society of Wheatley Heights and Wyandanch was created earlier this year, born out of a desire to protect and share the rich history of both hamlets with residents and visitors, member Love Foy said.

That desire in itself was sparked by another shared goal among members, Foy, 54, said: fighting back against a proposed 100-acre industrial park in Wyandanch that abuts a Wheatley Heights community.

San Francisco-based Bristol Group wants to develop the parcel, to be leased from Pinelawn Cemetery, with nine one-story buildings on a site that runs from Little East Neck Road east to North 28th Street and from south of Circle Drive to Long Island Avenue. According to Pinelawn, the parcel has not been used for cemetery plots. 

Last month, Babylon Town accepted a final environmental report from the developer, but the property still needs the town board to approve the creation of a new type of zoning for the project, as well as site plan approval from the planning board.

Foy, who filed an Article 78 lawsuit against the town board over the proposal that was later thrown out by a judge for being “premature,” said a member suggested the conservation society as a way of “instead of always being on the defense, being on the offensive” with such proposals.

“We were doing all this community work but we didn’t have any organization, or umbrella for it,” she said.

Vision of 'Freedom Park'

The group is promoting a different use of the 100-acre site: an actual park with gardens and trails.

Dubbed “Freedom Park,” Foy envisions the space being one of education, with historical markers and maybe even a building for educational seminars about the history of the hamlets, or to be rented out for events. A small man-made pond could be created as well, she said. People could pay a small fee to get in, she said, similar to Belmont Lake State Park.

“We understand that Pinelawn needs to make money off of that land,” she said. “So let’s turn it into something that maintains the physical look of it but can also bring money into it.”

Conservation group member Phyllis Stewart, 72, said the industrial park proposal “breaks my heart,” and as someone with two sets of grandparents who were farmers, she would love the land to be kept in its natural state.

“I see this as something that we as citizens need to do and I look forward to doing it,” she said. “My goal is to shut this [industrial park plan] down and start looking for grants to build a beautiful park that is sustainable and that would have all these lovely things for the community to enjoy.”

Foy said her group would work with Pinelawn to raise money for the park and aims to soon propose the plan to Pinelawn leadership, she said.

“There’s so many different ways to do this without destroying that beautiful area,” she said. 

A spokeswoman for Pinelawn did not respond to requests for comment on the proposal.

A Babylon Town spokesman declined to comment on the park concept since it has not officially received a proposal. According to town code, the creation of a park would require the land be rezoned.

Concern for Greenlawn Cemetery

Another concern of the organization is an 11-acre historic cemetery that is adjacent to the proposed development site. Greenlawn Cemetery holds the remains of more than 375 Black and Indigenous people who died in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, including Civil War veterans. Residents charge that Pinelawn has not properly cared for the cemetery and they fear the industrial park will further cut off the already isolated resting place.

A Pinelawn spokeswoman previously told Newsday the cemetery would be protected from the development, and a beautification plan would be implemented for it. 

Group member Ron Wells, a 30-year Navy veteran who served in Afghanistan, said the Civil War and other veterans buried there need to be properly recognized.

“It’s painful,” he said. “People who have served, we owe them a debt of gratitude. And the way that we’re repaying them is saying, 'We don’t care, we’ll build around you.'”

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.