Developers present five-tenant industrial building proposal on South Skidmore; neighbors raise traffic and quality-of-life concerns

Skidmore Road LLC presented plans April 27 to demolish a dwelling at 30 South Skidmore and build a 4,743-square-foot, five-tenant industrial building with about 1,540 square feet of storage mezzanine, attorney Rachel Shelpo told the Town of Babylon Planning Board.

Shelpo said the proposal is aimed at small contractors who need secure indoor storage for a work van and a small office but stressed the site will not host public auto repairs. She said the applicant has proposed covenants that prohibit outside storage of materials or vehicles, bar vehicle mechanical work and limit truck deliveries, and that the owner — who lives nearby — will include maintenance and enforcement provisions in leases.

The application is on a nonconforming G‑industrial lot (Suffolk County Tax Map 93‑2‑41) that currently measures about 12,958 square feet. The team and the board identified three variances likely needed at the zoning board: parking, a side/rear/front-yard clarification on a corner lot, and lot area relief tied to the parcel’s pre‑existing nonconforming status.

On parking, presenters said the code initially produced a 17‑space requirement while the proposal provides 11 spaces. The project team said a reassessment of interior area calculations would reduce the required total in another scenario to 15 spaces, and that typical occupancy is expected to be about 10–11 vehicles. R&M Engineering summarized a traffic and parking analysis using Institute of Transportation Engineers methodology that estimated an AM peak of roughly 10 trips, a midday peak of five trips, and a PM peak of about 12 trips; the engineer described the resulting traffic impact as minimal.

Neighbors pressed the board on operational details and potential impacts. Maurice Thomas, who lives at 332 Skidmore Road, asked whether a traffic study had been completed, urged limits on hours of operation and suggested a traffic signal at the intersection because he had observed past accidents. "If we're going to have more vehicles, there should actually be a traffic light put there," he said.

Christian Long (340 Skidmore Road) asked who would enforce restrictions on tenants and warned that developers cannot always control who ultimately occupies a building. "They can't control who they put inside these buildings," Long said, urging the board to consider neighborhood character.

Vanessa Smith (340 Skinmore Road) said she and her family have lived on the block for years and that adding another industrial building would hurt the neighborhood’s quality of life. "Putting something across the street, it does give me like, you know, I got to be careful because we have unknown contractors," she said.

In reply, the applicant said the owner operates nearby properties, will include maintenance covenants in tenant leases, and has already agreed to monthly litter checks and quarterly street sweeping of the parking area as part of conditions proposed for approval. The team reiterated the no‑outside‑storage and no‑repair limits and said sidewalks and corner dedication will be included to meet ADA requirements.

The board voted to close the public hearing and reserve decision to allow staff to review the comments and open plan issues. Edward Wyn moved to close the hearing; Jerry O'Neal seconded. The motion was approved by voice vote and the record was left open for written comment.

The planning record for the application remains open; the applicant is expected to pursue specified variances at the zoning board and to return with clarified site plans and the outstanding highway‑department labeling dimension for DK Place.