S. Farmingdale industrial site to join park

An old industrial site in South Farmingdale is one step closer to becoming part of one of the Town of Oyster Bay’s largest parks.

The town board Tuesday formally changed zoning for the 22-acre former Liberty Industrial Finishing site on Motor Avenue to recreational. The action paves the way for the land to be used in an expansion of the adjacent Ellsworth W. Allen Park.

Now 16 acres, Allen Park would more than double in size. A decade of environmental cleanup of the Superfund site, which is now town property, is nearly complete, allowing the expansion’s planning stage to begin.

Town officials solicited residents’ wishes earlier this year and have said the project could include five new turf playing fields, a 250,000-square-foot community center and a swimming pool. A larger community forum to discuss potential amenities, estimated to cost $20 million or more, is expected this fall.