Although a possible Robbins Lane Corridor moratorium and the Cerro Wire site in Syosset were not included on the agenda at Tuesday's Town of Oyster Bay meeting, almost 1,000 residents changed that.

Carrying signs saying "NIMBY noise versus $22,000 in taxes" and towels saying "pass the moratorium," town hall was packed to a standing-room only capacity with others waiting outside in the cold.

Approximately 450 Syosset and Jericho residents were bused to town hall to express their desire and the urgent need for a building moratorium on Robbins Lane in Syosset. Approximately 450 union workers were in attendance to show their opposition to the moratorium and to express their view on why the town should deny the request for a building moratorium.

A building moratorium for Robbins Lane would, according to those pushing for the issue, put a hold on all building on Robbins Lane, including the former Cerro Wire property and the possibility of a Lowe's Home Center, and possibly re-zone the entire Robbins Lane corridor.

Last year, Lowe's Home Centers submitted a pre-application to the Town of Oyster Bay regarding the possibility of building a 167,000-square-foot home improvement store and garden center on an approximately 18-acre parcel opposite the Cerro Wire Site on Robbins Lane in Syosset. The town voted against granting a special use permit to the Taubman Company to build the 860,000 square foot mall on the Cerro site and the matter is currently being decided by the court system.

After meeting with both sides, Town of Oyster Bay Supervisor John Venditto and the town board decided to give each side the chance to have three speakers and 10 minutes to address the board.

Warren Church, president of the Syosset Groves Civic association, spoke first. "I understand what the unions want to do - feed their family - and to do that, they will build wherever they can, but the residents in the town should come first," he said.

Church explained that the Cerro Wire Coalition, an organization representing more than 40,000 Town of Oyster Bay homeowners and 6,000 small businesses, only approached the town about a possible Robbins Lane moratorium after Lowe's submitted their pre-application; and this was not directed solely at the proposed mall, but at the possibility of Robbins Lane being completely over saturated.

"There are 450 people here for a moratorium and these people all live in the surrounding area," said Church. "The town board has been great so far, but now we are asking you to go that extra mile. We know that something is going to be built on the Cerro Wire site, and we want it to be done by union workers, but the mall is not a good idea there. We need a moratorium. It is a good idea so we can step back and take a look at the area as a whole."

The next speaker for those asking for the moratorium was Fern Resnick, who has been a resident of Syosset for 24 years and is the second vice president of the Syosset Council of PTAs. "I am here as a mother and as a representative of the community," said Resnick. "There are so many negative ramifications of development on the Robbins Lane corridor. We are encouraging you to pass a Robbins Lane corridor moratorium. The time is now and the demand is reasonable - the children are counting on you."

The last speaker for those in favor of the moratorium was Todd Fabricant, chairman of the Cerro Wire Coalition. "We are not here to protest the mall. We are here with a vision - a 20/20 vision that was established by the town," said Fabricant. "There is a lot of land on Robbins Lane that can be redeveloped, and we are asking a planner to look at the entire corridor for a full vision of what can be done there."

Fabricant ended by expressing his desire for the town board to pass a building moratorium for the community and to look to build something that fits in with the character of the community.

Chris Fusco, from the Carpenters Union Local 7, spoke next on behalf of those against the moratorium. "If the moratorium passes, the union workers can't live here on Long Island," said Fusco.

Kevin Kelly, business agent with Local 46, echoed Fusco's concerns. "Economic development is important. We live and work in the Long Island area and we deserve to make a living here," said Kelly. "These men and women who want Cerro developed are your neighbors and please keep an open mind."

Jack Kennedy, president of the Nassau/Suffolk Building Trades Union, was the final speaker of the evening. "This is a very emotionally charged issue," said Kennedy. "After talking to some of my guys, I realized some of them have not worked in over a year and I know the horror of being unemployed. We pay taxes here and live here, and we want to be able to work here."

Kennedy said that economic development is needed and, more importantly, he said jobs are needed. "Cerro Wire and Lowes would be like plasma to us right now," said Kennedy. "This is serious business for us and moratorium is a very dangerous word for construction workers."

Kennedy explained that the union workers have a commitment from the Taubman company that they will perform all work to build the mall and also the maintenance work after it is done. "We appreciate the alliance that we have with them," he said.

Although civil, the approximately 900 people in attendance were vocal in expressing their views. "My opinion is that the two sides need to work out a solution," Jimmy Rogers, business union representative to district council #9, said in an interview. "There's always some way to meet in the middle."

"This is a reflection of the failure of civil leaders to engage in negotiations for the past nine years after losing nine court challenges," said Gary Lewi, public relations representative for the Taubman Company. "They've refused each opportunity to compromise, and instead gamble on a court win."

After hearing the speakers, Venditto asked all of those who were present at the meeting for the moratorium issue to leave so the board could get on with the regularly-scheduled agenda. The town board is currently reviewing the request for a moratorium and all of the comments from Tuesday's meeting were submitted on the official record.

Scott Adam contributed to this article.