Brookhaven Town Board OKs rezoning for assisted living center

The Brookhaven Town Board unanimously approved a zoning change for a proposed 42,000-square-foot assisted living complex in Farmingville.

The 7-0 decision reached Tuesday night changes the zoning from light industrial to health facility. It represents the first step toward constructing The Bristal assisted living center.

The project calls for a 42,000-square foot building with 145 beds to be built on a 5.89-acre site along the Long Island Expressway North Service Road near Exit 63.

"There is a growing need for this type of facility for our aging population," Brookhaven Town Councilman Kevin LaValle said Wednesday. "Many of these people want to live close and watch their grandchildren grow up."

No residents at the meeting spoke about the issue. Brookhaven Councilwoman Connie Kepert, a Democrat, questioned access to the building's entrance.

Hauppauge attorney David A. Sloane, who represents the proposed facility owners, Garden City-based developer the Engel Burman Group, said there would be several ways to reach the front of the building, including by driving along the service road.

Town Planning Commissioner Tullio Bertoli told the board that "in general, planning is in support of the project."

A site plan review requires town planning board approval, after which the building department needs to approve permits, town officials said.

If everything is approved, construction could begin in nine months and take a year to complete, Sloane said after the meeting. He said he didn't know how much the project would cost to build.