Neighbors urge Fairview Park council to pause proposed purchase of 22100 Mastic Road for service garage

Fairview Park residents urged the City Council on March 16 to halt consideration of a purchase agreement for 22100 Mastic Road after a week of heated neighborhood meetings and a packed public‑comment period.

Mayor Schneider acknowledged residents' frustration and apologized for moving the property option forward with limited outreach, saying the administration would seek more time to consider alternatives. “I should have done a better job reaching out to residents,” he said, and described three broad approaches the city is exploring: (A) pursue the current purchase and build a new service garage at Mastic, (B) relocate the senior center and repurpose the existing building for the service department, or (C) acquire property outside the city's borders to house municipal services. He warned some tradeoffs if the city locates facilities in another municipality, including changes to payroll withholding and first‑responder jurisdictions.

The law director told council the transaction before them is a purchase option contingent on council approval: “If the city council does not approve the purchase, then there will be no purchase agreement,” he said, and offered to contact the seller to seek an extension so council can gather more information.

Dozens of speakers during the public comment period asked the council to slow the process, form a citizen task force and commission studies (noise, traffic, property‑value and environmental impact) before a final vote. “Let's take a breath and do some further cost analysis,” said Ken Liven, a long‑time resident whose family lives adjacent to the proposed site. Jessica Thompson, whose home backs up to the site, said the proposal “completely changes the character of our residential neighborhood” and urged council to vote no on a purchase.

Speakers cited specific concerns: heavy truck traffic from a fleet the administration said totals about 25 vehicles, potential year‑round noise and light, salt storage and corrosion, health impacts for seniors and residents with respiratory conditions, and a decline in property values. Local attorney Bob Kreps warned the council that rapidly approving a purchase could trigger litigation and substantial costs. Several speakers pitched alternatives, including sites with better highway access or repurposing existing municipal parcels.

Council took up a slate of ordinances that were ready for final action but did not vote to approve the Mastic purchase. Ordinance 26‑18, the ordinance authorizing the mayor to enter into a purchase agreement with JL Capital 1 LLC for 22100 Mastic Road, was placed on second reading and returned to the finance committee for further consideration. Mayor Schneider and several council members said they heard residents and will consider motions next week to table, move to a task force, or otherwise delay final action.

What passed: council approved several noncontroversial land‑use and grant measures on unanimous votes (see companion article for a summary of final votes). What remains: no final purchase agreement has been executed; the option is contingent on a future council vote. The law director reiterated the option structure and noted that nothing will happen without council approval.

Council members encouraged residents to continue participating in committee meetings and offered to provide additional materials. The mayor said he had reached out to residents, visited suggested alternate sites and would pursue additional time from the seller if council requests it. The council is scheduled to revisit the matter at an upcoming meeting, and some members signaled support for forming a task force to vet alternatives and commission necessary impact studies before any final purchasing decision.