Babylon Town acquiring Army base to help veterans

The Babylon Town board on Tuesday formally asked the federal government to turn over a closed Army Reserve base in North Amityville to the town, one of the last hurdles before a Medford-based nonprofit can start building apartments and support services there for honorably discharged veterans and their families.

Babylon will deed most of the 15.7-acre parcel to Medford-based Concern for Independent Living, which plans to build a $21 million facility with 60 apartments. The town will keep about six acres for parkland.

The board on Tuesday also approved a 30-year property tax exemption for the parcel.

“It’s been a real scramble pulling all this along,” said Ralph Fasano, executive director of Concern for Independent Living. “But we definitely will be in the ground by Oct. 1.”