Concerned Citizens Association of Farmingdale (CCAF) wishes to thank the Town of Oyster Bay Supervisor, John Venditto and his staff for working so diligently to hold the Public Hearing for the proposed building of a new Super Stop & Shop in Farmingdale. We would also like to thank the entire Town Board for traveling to Farmingdale to hear all sides of this controversial issue. It was a late night for all and they are to be commended for their attentiveness to everyone.

Farmingdale School District was kind enough to allow the Town to use the Howitt Auditorium even as we are faced with budget constraints. We extend our gratitude to them also, as all the residents of Farmingdale would have had to travel sixteen miles to Oyster Bay for a normal Public Hearing.

The proposal is now in the hands of the Town Board and we await their decision.

(Editor's Note: This letter was sent to Town of Oyster Bay Supervisor John Venditto and board members and is being printed here at the writer's request.)

Thank you for holding the public hearing on Tuesday, Nov. 16 at Howitt Middle School in Farmingdale. As long as the meeting was, I feel you and the board were fair to both sides. After listening to the debate, questions, dialogue between members of the board and the many speakers I hope you see this plan as many do, nice project but very wrong for this location.

The redevelopment of the Liberty Site property may be the largest such project in our community during the next 20 years. This is not about just turning down a supermarket, but rather creating an opportunity for a comprehensive community plan for the future. That plan does not exist today; we need to create a vision, one that considers the residential look of the surrounding community not just the current commercial zoning in place today. On Tuesday night I asked the town to please join forces with NYS ED, NC Economic Development and a team of Farmingdale residents. I offered a few potential ideas; a High Tech Business Development center, workforce/mixed-use housing, a Community Center and Cultural Arts Complex and I also support the retooling of Allen Park.

I realize ideas such as these will take time, money, input from many concerned residents, the landowner, potential developers and a dedicated team of local government officials. As you are well aware the issue of planned redevelopment is more critical now than ever in our communities due to the limited amount of open space in Nassau County. The town's new bond amendment passed on Nov. 2 will go a long way to continuing the effort of preserving open 'green' space.

Let us turn this into an opportunity for many of our residents and the Town of Oyster Bay to begin to develop the framework for a community master plan. I would like to volunteer for such an effort. A vision for Farmingdale, one that includes the village and the entire Farmingdale community. I would like to echo the voices I heard on Tuesday night and again ask the Town Board to reject the request for a special use permit for the Stop & Shop site application.