The Town of Oyster Bay Environmental Control Commission (TEQR) held a public scoping session last week on Jan. 17 to hear local residents' concerns regarding the proposal to construct a gas station and supermarket at the former Liberty Industrial Site in Farmingdale.

According to Town Councilman Joe Muscarella, Cubbies Properties, Inc. and J. Jay Tannenbaum are applying for a special use permit to construct both a supermarket and a combination gas station/convenience store on a portion of the site. "The 10-acre parcel is located on the northwest corner of Motor Avenue and Main Street in an 'H' Light Industrial District," Muscarella stated.

The meeting was held in preparation of a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) which the applicants are expected to complete in order to obtain the permit. Those at the meeting were given the opportunity to voice their concerns about having such a facility there. Cubbies Properties Inc. and J. Jay Tannenbaum are expected to take these items into consideration when creating the DEIS.

During the meeting, residents expressed worry about the amount of cleanup that would be necessary at the site prior to building such a facility. Liberty is federally classified as an inactive hazardous waste site, and has been the subject of ongoing cleanup efforts under the jurisdiction of the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for about 15 years. Residents called for the highest level of cleanup possible, classified by the EPA as "residential," before any building would occur. They urged for this level of cleanup due to the site's history of environmental safety concerns, including groundwater contamination and fires at the site.

Those present at the meeting also voiced their anxieties regarding the amount of traffic that would come into the area if there were to be such facilities constructed at the site, especially the flow of traffic that would be coming to and from the supermarket.

Now that this meeting has taken place, Cubbies Properties, Inc., and J. Jay Tannenbaum will begin putting together their DEIS, which will then be shared with the town board. Concerns that residents mentioned at the meeting will be cited in the document, along with resolutions as to how they plan to handle the issues.