Town board opens comment periods on Ross Electric supplemental EIS, holds zone-change and site-plan hearings open

The Town of Brookhaven on April 24 opened the public comment period for a draft supplemental environmental impact statement (DSEIS) and held open related hearings on a proposed Ross Electric project at 120 Middle Country Road in Middle Island.

Planning Director Don Hone told the board the parcel is roughly 1.16 acres of a larger 116-acre assemblage and is currently split-zoned J Business 2 and A Residence 1. The applicant requests a change of zone to L Industrial 1 and a site plan for a new 3,900-square-foot building (the existing 4,000-square-foot building would remain). The board previously adopted a positive declaration under the State Environmental Quality Review Act (SEQRA) on May 16, 2024; the DSEIS was prepared to supplement a 2006 generic EIS for the Quogue/Middle Island/Ridge land-use plan.

David Wartman of VHB, the environmental reviewer for the applicant, summarized the DSEIS and said the analysis concluded the project “would not result in a significant adverse environmental impact” and noted expected benefits from better site drainage, bringing outdoor storage indoors, and an enlarged buffer area consistent with Pine Barrens standards.

Attorney Eric Russo and engineer Jeff Volmuth described site-plan elements, Pine Barrens clearing and restoration measures, parking (23 spaces proposed for existing and proposed buildings), and landscaping and lighting controls. The applicant provided site photographs and said the plan uses previously cleared area so the proposal complies with Pine Barrens clearing restrictions and includes restoration plantings that increase preserved area.

Gail Lynch of the Middle Island Civic Association testified in favor of the application, noting the applicant’s long local presence and the association’s unanimous support in 2023. The board said it would accept written comments on the DSEIS for 10 days after the meeting and keep the related change-of-zone and site-plan public hearings open for 30 days of written comment. The board recorded motions to close the hearings for oral testimony while holding the record open for the written-comment periods: 10 days for the DSEIS and 30 days for the change-of-zone and site-plan items.

Planning staff noted that after the written‑comment windows close the board will consider responses and determine whether a negative declaration can be adopted or further review is necessary under SEQRA.