Residents urge Town of Babylon to reject proposed Wyandanch industrial park, citing traffic and environmental risks

Dozens of residents told the Town of Babylon Board on Nov. 6 that a proposed industrial park — variously called the Bristol/Pinelawn or Wyandanch project — should not be built on forested land behind Wheatley Heights and Wyandanch.

At the open portion of the meeting, residents described a range of public-health, traffic and environmental concerns, saying the site would bring heavy truck traffic and irreversible damage to water recharge areas. "Turn it into blocks of cement with, potentially, you know, hundreds of trucks at one time idling and poisoning our air," said Ruthie Scheck of 57 Circle Drive, who urged the board to reject rezoning for the site.

The meeting's public speakers repeatedly raised traffic as an immediate safety issue. A resident speaking for Project Wyandanch said the project was projected to generate "well over 2,000 trucks projected daily" and cited plans for roughly 384 truck bays; Alana Osdibi of 178 Colonial Springs Road said the proposal included "380 truck beds" and about "1,980 parking spots." Several speakers said Little East Neck Road and nearby crossings of the Long Island Rail Road could not safely accommodate the additional truck and commuter flows.

Speakers also warned of long-term environmental harm. The Project Wyandanch commenter told the board the site would "destroy two of the four remaining mineral springs recharge areas on Long Island" and that filling the recharge basins would threaten local drinking water. Teresa Wallace said the project would shift tax revenues and noted the Wyandanch School District could receive an estimated $3,600,000 of $5,600,000 in annual taxes — a figure she offered as context for why the site had been labeled for Wyandanch.

Several public commenters called for additional study rather than relying on the developer's report. "We need an actual Town of Babylon traffic study for that area," Kathleen Ferreira said, adding that the town had "rubber stamped" an outside Bristol study rather than commissioning its own independent analysis.

Developers' proponents or staff responses were not recorded during the open portion. No formal board action on rezoning or approvals for the industrial park occurred at the meeting; the board heard public comment and did not take a vote on the project during this session.

The board accepted public comment and adjourned after routine business; any next procedural steps on zoning or planning were not announced at this meeting.