During the past week rumors have been flying that the Town of Oyster Bay will soon vote on the Environmental Impact Statement for the Stop & Shop application at the Liberty site. In the spring of last year a group of residents formed the Discover Farmingdale study group. After workshops and discussions through the fall we have drafted a Community Action Plan that includes potential opportunities across our four hamlets. At the heart of this is an alternate plan for the Liberty site. This is an example of a community-based planning effort that is looking to form a municipal partnership with residents, businesses and our elected officials to better plan the future of our community. We will continue to ask the town board to consider our request to form a partnership and join our Discover Farmingdale community-based planning effort. In doing so we would hope to find ways to improve our community together. My personal opinion is still reflected in the letter below, sent Nov. 19, 2004, to our Town Supervisor John Venditto:

Thank you for holding the public hearing last night at Howitt 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, dialogue between the board, and the many speakers I hope you see this plan as many do, a 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. Last night I asked the town to please join forces with NYS ED, NC Economic Development and a team of Farmingdale residents. I also offered a few potential ideas for an alternate use; a High Tech Business Development center, workforce/mixed-use housing, a Community Center & Cultural Arts Complex and the redesign and enhancement 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.

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 and others would volunteer for such an effort. To create a vision for the entire Farmingdale community, that includes the Liberty site as a centerpiece for redevelopment. I would like to again echo the many voices I heard last night and again ask the Town Board to reject the request for a special use permit for the Stop & Shop site application.

Chuck Gosline