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Neighbors press All Souls Church daycare renewal over playground noise and traffic; church promises steps to reduce impacts
Summary
Neighbors at the Board of Zoning Appeals public hearing urged tighter controls on outdoor playtimes and on traffic calming near Mills Pond Nursery, which sought renewal of its daycare special permit at All Souls Church; church and nursery operators agreed to pursue remedies including moving play areas and talking to parents.
All Souls Church and its tenant, Mills Pond Nursery, faced neighborhood concerns about playground noise and vehicle speeds during a special permit renewal hearing before the Town of Brookhaven Board of Zoning Appeals on April 30.
Attorney Andrew Malvernaro presented the renewal application and said his office has handled permit renewals for the nursery since 2014; the operation has been renewed every five years without known code violations, he said. Public commenters described repeated episodes when children playing on the south edge of the play area generated loud noise that reverberated toward neighboring houses, and they said some parents and staff drive at excessive speeds on narrow, hilly Mill Pond Road during drop‑off and pick‑up.
Neighbor Wilfred Ortiz asked the board to require the nursery to move afternoon play to the north side of the building and to limit play on the south side from 2 p.m. until closing. He said the proximity of his deck and windows (30–50 feet) to the south play area amplifies noise and that past informal efforts only temporarily reduced disruption. Another neighbor, Pamela Cactus, and the church senior warden offered mixed observations: the senior warden said that in her visits she found the nursery’s outdoor activity more like ‘children at play’ than objectionable noise and that the nursery supports church ministries, while a different neighbor reported persistent speed and safety concerns and noted a pending highway department traffic‑calming request.
Church representatives told the board they have previously asked the nursery’s staff to remind parents about safe driving and that they were prepared to explore moving play areas, modifying the southern play surface (pebble removal), and increasing visual warnings to drivers. The church said it would work with the nursery to find a durable solution and emphasized the nursery’s role in employment and services to the local community.
Board members acknowledged the nursery’s community benefit but said neighbors’ concerns about safety and repeated noise problems deserved concrete commitments. The board closed the public hearing and will decide after staff drafts recommended permit conditions; the applicant and church said they would pursue measures such as moving playtimes and working with the highway department on traffic calming.
