Amazon doesn't need tax breaks

The saga of the former Cerro Wire property in Syosset always has been the hopeful story of what could be.

Now, it's the unfortunate tale of what could have — and should have — been.

The 39-acre site on the edge of the Long Island Expressway, complete with its own westbound Robbins Lane exit ramp, could have — and should have — become something game-changing.

The current plan — an Amazon last-mile warehouse and distribution center — is a massive disappointment.

And the tech giant doesn't need 15 years of tax breaks for this, either. If Long Island is such a key market, Amazon would find a way.

Thursday, the Nassau County Industrial Development Agency likely will vote on Amazon's plans to build a 204,169-square-foot distribution facility that will employ 150 full-time workers. Advocates say the project also will lead to hundreds of driver jobs and involve up to 250 unionized construction jobs. County officials rightly point out that Nassau's high-tax environment makes it hard to attract any middle class jobs without tax incentives. Project attorney Dan Deegan and Nassau IDA head Richard Kessel have argued that the amount Amazon will be paying in lieu of taxes is superior to leaving the property empty. But under that standard, the IDA could approve every single project, regardless of the impact it would have or the developer's deep pockets.

The quality of the project, and the context of it, must matter.

The real problem with the Amazon proposal isn't the tax benefit request. It's the fact that the proposal won't produce meaningful development. But it's the only one that's moved forward. That's because it fits with existing zoning and lacks housing — and those dreaded school-age children that come along with it. Bottom line: It's the politically safe choice for Oyster Bay Town Supervisor Joseph Saladino.

The previous proposal, Syosset Park, included 625 condominiums and town houses, plus a hotel, restaurants and retail. Imagine how such economic development could have helped the town and the Island at this critical moment.

But community opposition, unfounded fears over traffic and crowded schools, and concerns about how to remediate the blighted property stopped Syosset Park before it started. It's telling that a recent study showed that multi-housing developments aren't leading to significant school enrollment increases. Not that those opposed would have believed it.

Amazon's plans, which include remediating and capping the property, still await state Department of Environmental Conservation approval — and the IDA awarding of breaks is contingent on that.

The pushback is far more tame now. It's likely the IDA will approve it and, potentially by year's end, yet another Amazon distribution facility will be operational here.

To be clear: The editorial board supported an Amazon headquarters proposed for Queens several years ago. If a similar project were coming to Long Island, that would be very different. But this isn't a headquarters. It's not thousands of jobs, many high-paying, and billions of dollars in revenue. It won't have the same massive ripple effect.

Instead, this lost opportunity will barely generate a splash.

— The editorial board