Town Board - Regular Meeting

to the republic for it stands nation indivisible and justice for all. Please remain standing for a moment of silence. I'd ask that you keep in your thoughts and prayers the brave servicemen and women serving our country both here and abroad.

Thank you. Please be seated. Would the clerk call a role? Councilman Manetta here. Councilman Martinez here. Councilman Mcweeny here. Councilman Gregory here. Supervisor Schaefer

and I am here. So all five are present. We have a quorum. Uh just by way of information for those of you who are attending the meeting for your first time. Meeting is divided up into three sections. First is dedicated to the public hearings and there are six public hearings scheduled for this evening. So, if you're interested in addressing the board on any of the public hearings, we ask that you fill out a card. I think there are cards in the back uh and indicate which public hearing you're interested in addressing the board on and uh we'll bring it up front here and file with our town clerk. Uh second portion is dedicated to the agenda and there are agendas on the table up front. Um, we will not be taking any action on any of the items in the public hearings with the exception of the public hearing regarding the new horizon's um industrial uh development in um North Amityville. Uh we will not be taking action on the COPEG application or the Deer Park application. So those will just be public hearings. But if you want check out the agenda and if you want to address the board on any of the resolutions listed on the agenda for that we ask you to fill out a card uh as well. And the third portion is the open portion and that's when residents can come forward and address the board on any matter concerning town government or town services that is not on today's agenda. Um and again we ask you fill out a card as well. If you're watching us on our YouTube channel live on Wednesday, May 13th at 5:30m, there's a link that you can click on that'll take you to today's agenda. You'll be able to send us a message, question, comment, or concern. One of us will be able to get back to you. If you're watching us at a future date and time, that link is still live. You'll be able to utilize that. And again, please send us a message, question, comment, or concern, and we'll respond to you uh as quickly as possible. So with that, we'll go into

the public hearings. And the first public hearing is a public hearing in reference to amending chapter A27, recreational fees. I don't have any cards, so I'll take a motion from Councilman Manetta, second by Councilman Martinez to close and reserve. All those in favor?

I opposed. Hearing is closed. Decision reserve. Second public hearing is a public hearing on the application for multi-tenant occupancy and PIP one zone of SMQRS14-93, Inc. Planning board job number 25-48 AJ for the premises identified as Suffach County tax map number 0100-126.02-01-00003 located on the northwest south side of Wellwood Avenue in North Amityville. U Mr. Ingber.

All right. Uh good evening on behalf of the applicant Matthew Iber from the law firm of Sir Tommen Balon Adler and Heyman 90 Merrick Avenue 9th floor East Meadow New York. So I am here on the application uh to permit a multi-tenant occupancy as part of the applicant's redevelopment of the property at 1000 New Horizons Boulevard in North Amnville. So, this application seeks to repurpose the existing building at the subject property to allow for manufacturing, warehousing, and distribution uses that will accommodate up to four tenants. So, so as a brief background on the project, on April 13th of this year, a public hearing was held before the town planning board on the applicant site plan application. That application was closed and the the decision was reserved. On the same day, the planning board adopted resolution number 2026-041 which which recommended that this board grant the instant application uh subject to one obtaining final site plan approval from the planning board and two obtaining all required variance relief from the zoning board of appeals. Uh we note that on April 30th of this year, the application was before the zoning board of appeals and that hearing was closed and the decision was reserved. [clears throat] So the applicant uh has reviewed the planning board recommendations in their prior resolution and has no objections to the proposed conditions of approval. So with that, we thank you for your time and attention to this matter. and our project engineer and a representative for the applicant uh is also here to address any questions that the board or public may have.

Good. Does anyone on the board have any questions for the representative? No. No. Thank you. Okay. I don't have any cards, so I'll take a motion to close and reserve by Councilman Martinez. Second by Councilman Mweeny. All those in favor?

I opposed. Hearing is closed. Decision. Thank you. So second public hearing is a public hearing on the application on the application of 1301-1321 Monttok Highway Corp. HPLN-52 planning board job number 2514 AE for the premises identified as Suffach County Tax Map number 100-194-3-65.001 001, 066, 067, and 068 located on the northeast corner of Merrick Road, Monttoque Highway, and St. An's Avenue in COPE. Um, Nicole,

good afternoon, Mr. Supervisor, members of the board. For the record, I'm Nicole Bland. I'm an attorney at Dazelle Bland, Viscanti with offices at 535 Broadwell Road in Melville. I'm here today on behalf of the property owner seeking a change of zone from business E to multiple residents of this site. This application has undergone extensive departmental review and we did have our planning board hearing uh maybe about six to eight weeks ago and it went very well. Um as you said it's located on the northeast corner of Montalk Highway and St. An's Avenue. It is currently zoned business E and it's presently improved with a mixeduse building that does have a co um with six one-bedroom units and a retail component. You might know it as Panorama Signs. What the um application is seeking to do is to convert that retail space to an additional unit. So that structure would have seven units as you can see on the beautiful rendering behind you. Um and then there would be a new building constructed as well to have an additional um eight units. So in total there would be 15 one-bedroom apartments on this site. Um, if we look at the site plan that's part of the uh exhibits I gave you, you can see that there'll be a curb cut for ingress and egress on Montalk Highway and an additional curb cut on St. An's. All new landscaping on the corner. It'll look really attractive. There used to be a dilapidated old house there, the board might recall, and it's been demolished and this really will be a positive upgrade for the overall site. Um, we did resubmit revised plans to the various departments and we're waiting on any further comments, but again, we feel that this will be in character with the area and will be a nice upgrade for the overall community.

Great. Any questions from members of the board? No. Thank you, Nicole. Okay. I don't have any cards as well. So, I'll take a motion from Councilman Mcweeny, second by Councilman Gregory to close and reserve. All those in favor? I opposed. Hearing is closed. Decision reserve. Fourth public hearing is public hearing on the application of LG Associates LLC HPLN-62 planning board job number 24-51 AE for the premises identified at Suffach County Taxment number 0100-43-3-122 and 123 located on the northwest corner of Long Island Avenue and Irving Avenue in Deer Park.

Again, Mr. Supervisor Nicole Blander, attorney at Bazelle Bllandanda Viscanti with offices at 535 Broad Hollow Road in Melville. I'm here today on behalf of the property owner seeking a change of zone from a split zone parcel that is split business E and resident C to industry G. All to allow a self-s storage facility to be built here at 849 Long Island Avenue in Deer Park. The property is located on the northwest corner of Long Island Avenue and Irving Avenue. It has a lot area of 1.35 acres with approximately 260 ft of frontage on Long Island Avenue and 301 ft of frontage on Irving. It's presently split zone with business E being a majority of the property and resident C is in the rear. So if you look at the aerial, basically the parking lot in the rear is zoned resident C currently. Um it is presently improved with the concrete masonry one-story building that you see there. Um, it has a co from 1959 and has been used as a bowling alley. Presently, there's mostly asphalt on the site and not much landscaping to speak of. Um, the existing bowling alley has been on this site for many years. Um, however, since maybe just prior to CO, the landlord has had to significantly reduce the rent that um, he is obtaining from the tenant for various reasons. During COVID, for obvious reasons, all businesses were suffering. And so as a courtesy and to give a grace period, the landlord wanted to help out and did significantly reduce the rent at that time. Um there was a hope that maybe there would be some PPP funds that didn't come through, but in any event, they ended up forgiving about $84,000 in unpaid rent during that period of time. So to put it into perspective, the fair market value rent for this property with the square footage that it has should yield yield between 20 to 22 grand a

year. I mean a month. But currently the tenant only pays 6875 a month. And again this has been um based on the graciousness of the landlord to try to allow the bowling alley to survive and to stay with the hopes that maybe business would pick up and there'd be an uptick and so they could get the rent roll that they should be getting. Um, so essentially it's operating almost three times less than market rate and it's just become unsustainable. The landlords simply cannot continue to bear the financial burden of carrying the property and carrying a business that you know they're not invested in um without some major changes here. And with Main Event opening up at Tanganger next week, we can only imagine what might happen to this bowling alley business that's here. So the owner does feel it's time for a change. Um no matter what there will be a change here whether it's based on current zoning or if we do um if we are given the benefit of the change of zone. So the application that we are seeking is to redevelop if we just switch to the site plan so the audience can see um to redevelop this site with a brand new self-s storage facility and that's what requires the change of zone to entirely industry G. We're proposing to demo the existing structure and construct a new two-story building with a footprint of 17,048 square ft. All to be used as a state-of-the-art aironditioned self-s storage facility which public storage is interested in. Public storage um among amongst others conducted a market feasibility study to look at the surrounding area. What they do is they look at what other self- storage facilities are presently in the surrounding area. what capacity they're currently working at. They found that within a couple of miles there are several and they're at almost 90 to 95% capacity. At least that was a year or two ago, so it might be even higher now. And then what they also look at is the

uh housing in the area, apartments that are already quote unquote online, you know, already being rented, and then other apartments that they know of in the pipeline. And so that's how they measure where they hit an equilibrium, whether there is a demand. and they found that there was or there is a demand for more self- storage based on the increase in housing. So, this site will be entirely redeveloped and it will be given about 20,633 square ft of landscaping. So, it'll be along the front and along the back there'll be a nice 20ft buffer that will run along the westerly perimeter and the northerly property line where right now no buffer exists. Right now, it's just a a blank parking lot in the back where sometimes there is hanging out. We've heard there has been complaints, there's been drug use, there's there's garbage left back there. So, this would be a nice upgrade for the site with a building and it would be secure. Currently, the perimeter consists of asphalt and building line. The front yard along Long Long Island Avenue will be fully landscaped with grass, shrubs, and street trees. And then as I said, there'll be arbor vite and a 20- foot buffer along the north and west side. Um there'll be two means of ingress and egress for the site. A curb cut located on Long Island Avenue and one on Irving Avenue. We have the refuge enclosure located towards the rear of the proposed building, but it'll be in front of the buffer so as not to interfere with any other properties, and it does meet all town uh specs, including town DEEC specs. Parking is proposed solely within the front yard of the site. Um, and there's currently parking there. We do meet the parking requirements. Um, we are required to have 26 spaces and we're proposing 26 spaces. Um, you know, it is self storage. People don't come and go a lot to self- storage facilities. You don't normally go visit your belongings. It's not like a retail use or an office use or a restaurant which would bring more traffic and have more trips in and

out of the site. Usually when people store their belongings, they leave them there until they need to either relocate, move, or get something. So, this is a a a nonownerous use of the property. It's not a typical industrial use where you're going to have a lot of truck traffic or noise. There's no outside storage. There'll be all dark sky compliant lighting and it'll be fully secured. Um and we do feel that you know if there was ever a change in the future as this board knows and as you know planning board understands any other change to the site future development what have you would have to go back in front of the planning board. It might even have to come here if there's a covenant or it could have to go to the zoning board. So there'll always be town jurisdiction over this site for any future development if there were any concerns. Um today I do have our engineer Scott Risinger from Nelson and Pope if the board has any specific questions about the site or the engineering of it. Um otherwise

we might after all the presentations. Absolutely. But um does anyone have any questions now for you just uh you might have said it but I missed it. How many units? How many uh storage units do we have that answer? I don't have that answer handy but I'll find out. We have 26 parking spaces. Okay, we'll get that answer. I'll get that answer for you. Any other questions from members of the board? No. Okay, thank you. You're welcome.

So, um, now we have a number of speakers. So, the way this works is the applicant's representative made a presentation um brief presentation to the board. Um, now all of the speakers can come up and speak. Um, when you do come up, please speak directly into the microphone so that everyone can hear you. Please, if you're in the audience, give your attention. Don't um call out or disagree with the speaker um or say anything to dis interrupt the speaker. let the speaker give him or her the opportunity to speak as to what he or she wishes to say because it's all being put on the record which is important. Um so that the board can review all the comments after uh the speakers speak and the record is given to us to review before we make a final decision. Um and when you come forward um again please state your name and address and you have three minutes to speak to the board. um and you can speak about whatever you want with regard to this application. If you want to address the board on anything else beside this application, we can bring you up during the open portion. So, please keep your comments to the specifics of this application. So, we'll start with this first speaker is uh David David Sinata and again just state your name and address. David Sincada 134 Cherabina Lane North Babylon. Thank you uh Mr. Schaefer and the members of the board tonight been a lifelong resident of the town of Babylon. I strongly oppose this action from happening. First of all, the people that live around it shouldn't have to go through this. Their property value, it's going to go down. If it was your property, how would you feel about your property value going down? It's residential back there.

Now you're going to switch it to commercial. Their value goes down. The houses around to go down. It's a proven fact. Shouldn't happen. Maybe he has been getting a break on his rent. It's a rough industry. They knew it when they rented it out. They [clears throat] want it out. At one point they said, "This is the best we've ever had it. we're making more money now than we ever did. So, because he fell on a little bit of hard times and they said, "Oh, we're gonna give you a break now. We're gonna change our idea." Nah, that's not right. The other thing is storage units, high rate of vandalism, high rate of police calls. Check with your first precinct. See how many times they're going right down the block at the storage unit. How many people live in storage units? You're going to say none. I'm going to tell you that's a lie. I've been in storage units. I can smell people cooking in them. You're going to have that at this storage unit. You're going to tell me that's safer than a bowling alley for the residents of Deer Park. For the kids that use this, [clears throat] I strongly oppose this. I thank you for your time. You have a great evening.

Thank you. You too. James James Marus James Marokus and after James is going to be Tom Lawless.

Okay. Okay. James Marosas, 175 Kaunga Avenue, Deer Park, New York. Uh, been living in the neighborhood for over 40 years. Um, like I said, I'm I'm definitely against the reszoning of the bowling alley, 100% 150%. [snorts] Uh, I think it's bad for the uh for the neighborhood, for for the for the uh for the surrounding people who live there. Uh, it's only going to hurt. And I'm a big advocate of of kids and you know that uh Mr. Schaeer, we've done a lot with Deer Park High School. I was instrumental in getting the high school bowling team which they never had. And among other things, you're hurting the uh the kids, the the handicap kids and all the special need kids. You're hurting a lot of people, not just one or two people. And I feel that it's going to, you know, it's going to hurt the neighborhood. And uh like I said, I have a lot more to say, but I want to say, but I don't want to take your time. And thank you for having me up here.

Thank you, James. Uh [snorts] Tom Tom Lawless. And after Tom is going to be Scott Rissinger. [snorts] Tom Wallace, 33 Irving Avenue, Deer Park, New York. Uh, good, good, good evening members of the board. My name is Tom Lawless. I live at 33 Irving Avenue in Deer Park between 3 and 500 feet away from the proposed zone change. I am here to respectfully ask to deny the requested reszone parcel from residential to industrial. Our neighborhood is not just a collection of houses, is a stable, planned community that relies on zoning protections. you are in charge of upholding. This resoning creates a spot zone. This building is going to be a windowless box with 24-hour security lighting in a residential neighborhood. Our town's comprehensive plan designate this area for residential growth. Moving in industrial now contradicts that very road mouth road map that this board uses to ensure predictability property values for our citizens. Zoning is a promise made to the homeowners when they invest their savings, their life savings into this community. Proximity to industrial zones consistently lowers the resale value of single family homes. Buyers are often deterred from creeping industrial buyers are often deterred by the creeping industrialization of the area, fearing one warehouse will lead to another. Improving approving this change breaks the promise and sets the precedent to know that no residential zone in our town is truly safe from indust industrial encroachment. This parcel of land was zoned residential for a reason.

I ask you to keep this parcel residential and deny their petition. I I I don't want somebody to build a two-story building right next to Mr. Clatt who clacket who lives right next to him. He's an 86 year old man. and to put a two-story building to look down on his house is is not right. I don't care what the what the owner does with his property as long as he's within the zone constraints that they bought the the property years ago and they agreed to buy it at that area with that zone and I don't believe that we should be able to change it and I appreciate your time. Thank you very much. Thank you. Have a great day. [applause] Scott Ringer. Scott Ringer.

Oh, okay. I'm sorry. Uh Kristen How Kristen How and after Kristen will be John Azara.

Hello Kristen how 16 Winnarmac Avenue Deer Park. I strongly oppose the reasonzoning. I have a child who bowls on the unified team. He also bowls with uh spare spare pins and my children enjoy going over there at least two or three times a month. Having a special needs child is extremely difficult. There are very few things that they have that is theirs and for the for the reasonzoning to happen then that would be taken away. and he is in the Deer Park School District. He is currently a junior. He's been bowling on that team for three years. To take that away is cruel. And again, we don't need another storage unit in our town. We don't. And it's not fair to the children. It's not fair to the residents who live around it. So, I strongly oppose this and thank you very much for your time.

Thank you, [applause] Johnara. And after John will be Dennis Ryan. Mr. Schaefer. Councilman, my name is John Aara. My family has lived on Eastwood Avenue since the 30s. Um, let me ask you this. I wasn't town supervisor in the 30s.

Let me ask you this. Picture this. It's a Sunday morning. You make yourself a cup of coffee. You decide to go out on your deck to look at the sky. These people that are all around there, what they're going to see is a brick building and glass. They're not going to see the sky. I don't care how many trees you put up to try to block it. Okay. Secondly, the parcel of land. They're two separate parcels of land and I think that they should be looked upon as such. When I was a kid, that was woods and I played in it. The second parcel of land, which is to the left, okay, to my memory, it was owned by the town at that time and it was uh granted property of usage. I don't know when it was bought or acquired, but taxes are even paid separately on the two. If you just consider the first parcel, it does not meet the requirements, the minimum requirements, which is an acre for a storage facility. Only by adding the other, which is the parking lot. If you look at it, look how small it is. Look how it barely fits in there. Okay, it's um [laughter] it's going to stick out like a sore thumb. Now, the other stuff I want to address is um is is is the um the side of the building which has the uh doors that go up. You know, the doors that go started. They're supposedly those are not supposed to be

visual visual from the people that live on Irving. I don't see how a few shrubs are going to stop that. Secondly, the lighting spillage that's going to happen from this building. I don't care using the black lighting or whatever you you're still going to have all this lighting 24 hours a day. people that live around here, including myself, my bedroom window faces that I'll be seeing light through my bedroom window when I'm trying to sleep at night. Okay? I won't even see stars no anymore. The uh other thing is that hasn't been brought up, myself and a neighbor Joe, which I had told to start a petition, which he did. We have close to 3,000 I don't know if that was emailed to you or sent to you. It was supposed to be sent to you. 3,000

signatures opposing this. Okay. Did I win something? [laughter] I'm the 150th customer. Anyway, um so if you could wrap it up, John.

Yeah. Okay. So, you know, we're going to talk about a lot of things here. You're going to hear how detrimental it's going to be for these people and how their families rely on it. But I know you're not moved by emotion. My thing is the zoning. It's his land. He could do what he wants with it. Tear it down, turn it back into a woods that I can play in again make believe I'm a kid. But you know the point is here. Do we the people matter anymore? Do we matter to the powers that be? We may vote for you hoping that you're going to serve us, not big business. So you have an opportunity here today to show us all that you represent the people and what the people want. So again, I leave this to you. Do we the people matter anymore? If they do, you will refuse this zoning change. Thank you very much.

Thank you,

Dennis Ryan. And okay, after Dennis is going to be Anthony Petrillo. My name is Dennis Ryan. I live at 98 Adam Street in Deer Park, former president of the Deer Park Board of Education. Good evening, Mr. Supervisor, Deputy Supervisor Martinez, Town Council, Chief of Staff, our wonderful clerk, sports staff, fellow residents and neighbors. Councilman Gregory, you're the chairman of this human services committee. You have a passion. You fight hard for Babylon. You fight hard for our kids. I know it. Mr. Mcweeny. Council, where did he go? He's not here. Okay. Councilman Sweeney, he's all about the vets and the fire departments. Councilman Manetta, chairman of the town of Avalon Small Business Committee. Thank you for doing that. You focus to promote business across the town and force a collaboration. This that part right there is we're really going to need your help on Deputy Supervisor Martinez. As long as I've known you, you've been a relationship builder and we here tonight are advocating for ourselves, but we're doing it through you. It's been years since we've had a council member from Deer Park on this day and we now rely on all of you to support and assist Dear Park community as much as you would your own hamlets. I believe what we are asking for is going to hit home for every one of your public service passions. So I stand before you today just one voice for thousands of Deer Park neighbors to respectfully urge you to vote no on the proposed zoning change that would convert residential to industrial use for yet another storage facility. Deer Park is a compact community. It's 6.2 2 square miles, approximately 3 to 30,000 30,000 residents. It's tight-knit. It's not an industrial corridor. And unlike some of our other Babylon hamlets, our space is limited. Every zoning decision we all

make shapes the quality of life for our residents, our families, and our children, including our most vulnerable special needs adults and children for decades to come. Let's consider what we already have in abundance in Deer Park. We have 15 fast food restaurants. We got 15 gas stations outside of Tanganger Outlet. We have zero familyoriented places to go. Zero. Okay. We have more than enough places to store our stuff, grab a quick bite on a run. But what we desperately lack is a true family orientated gathering place. A community asset that brings people together, supports families, serves our special need residents who often too often have limited local options for recreation and inclusion. A new storage facility will not create meaningful jobs for our residents. It will not strengthen our community fabric. It will not give our children and young adults a safe and engaging place to go. It will not provide special needs community members with opportunities for joy, social interaction, and development. Instead, it will add more traffic, more pavement, more lighting, more strain on the already burdened residential neighborhoods. I don't know if the families here, and I'm not to talk to them. I talked to the board and LG, but I hope that they listen. Partnering with the community and the town to develop a family entertainment and recreation center could actually be in their strongest long-term financial business interest. And here's why. a higher revenue potential. Unlike storage, which relies on steady but relatively low monthly rents, a well-designed family entertainment system with multiple income streams, group events, food and beverage sales, arcade merchandise, corporate community rentals in a dense area like De Park with thousands of families and limited local options. This creates a higher per square foot revenue and a stronger overall on return. I'll go I'll try to go as quick as I can, supervisor. Proven demand and long competition. Long Island has successful family entertainment centers that thrive

because families are willing to pay for a convenient local fund. Deer Park has strong demographics for this. The medium household income in Deer Park is $130,000, many households with children, and a clear gap in local offerings. You would capture repeat visits, year-round traffic, loyalty that storage units simply cannot match. Greater long-term value. Recreation entertainment facilities can increase the surrounding property values and act as an anchor for act anchor for additional positive development. They create a lasting legacy and a stronger asset for appreciation compared to another generic storage site. In a nutshell, it's a win-win in the term of business decision, but not for a short-term ROA decision, which is really what this has become. We all have a rare opportunity right now to do better, much better. I ask you the town of board to reject this zoning change and actively seek a higher better use for this land. A family entertainment and recre recreation center, a place with indoor activities, something that will bring generations together. This is the kind of thoughtful development Deer Park needs. Our residents have worked hard to make Deer Park a home. They chose this town for its neighborhoods, not for another industrial warehouse or storage lot. We have done more of our share of that in our 6.2 miles. We owe it to the residents, the families, especially to our children and our special needs community to prioritize quality of life over short-term commercial gain. I respectfully ask each member of the town board to vote no on this resoning. Let us send a clear message that this Town of Babylon town council reflects the values of family, community, thoughtful growth over more of the same. And let us commit to pursuing a facility that serves the community for years to come. And just one note before I close. I saw the misleading News Day article about this issue. Between the subtle shots at the bowling alley management and how downtrodden and victimized the landlord was betrayed, I almost had to get a

tissue to wipe away the tears. But I digress. Please remember that Tanganger has never lived up to the hype of promised revenue by the cooperation to the Deer Park School District. Revenue that was supposed to help the Deer Park tax base. They always fought for tax reassessments and adjustments and basically got them. This is no different than what LG does with its many of their properties and they even do this in the town of Babylon. It just seems that they win and the Hamlets lose. And let's not forget what Ingel Burman did to my southeast community in Deer Park. They totally screwed them. All right. So, Mr. Supervisor board, I thank you for your time.

Thank you. I thank you for your service and I [clears throat] urge you to stand with the families and residents of Deer Park tonight and deny this application. Thank you [applause] an Anthony Petrillo and after Anthony is going to be June Carpel. All righty. Thank you Anthony Martinez, Rich Schaefer. Thank you board of council members. Thank you for letting us here and speak tonight. Um, on behalf of fellow Deer Park residents, I would state your name and address.

Uh, my name is Anthony Petrillo. I live at 285 West 10th Street, Deer Park, New York. As a fellow Deer Park resident, and as a worker and avid bowler at Strike 10 Lanes, I would like to refuse the reszoning of this property. Not only will you be hurting me, you'll be hurting a lot of people in this room that go there, send their kids there, that send their high schools there. Where are these high school kids going to go? There's no other bowling alleys on Long Island. And if there are, they're not accepting them. East Iceland, I don't know if you guys have hear it in the news, East of Blanes are closing now. You guys want to close us? You can't do that. Where are all these kids going to go? Where all these special needs kids going to go? Nowhere. And I'm pretty sure all of you guys have kids, grandkids. Where would you like to see them both? Where would you like to go? There's nowhere else to go in Deer Park. Other than that, I would like to say to you guys that you guys are doing a phenomenal job, but also please do not reszone our property. We need it. The town needs it. What else other than Tangers in Deer Park? Nothing. This is the only family fun center and it's relatively safe. It's one of the safest areas I've ever bowled in. And I've bowled in some pretty bad spots. But again, it's not for me. It's for the people behind me. It's for the town. It's It's for the town of Deer Park. Please do not close us. And thank you for your time.

Thank you, [applause] June. June Carpel. And after June is Dave Feti. I've decided not to speak. Oh, okay. A great deal. Good. Okay. Thank just say just state that so that way they pick it up on the um recording. Uh my name is June Carpel. I had put in to uh discuss the application, but I've decided having heard some of the very poignant and um carefully worded worded uh statements from many other people who have spoken prior to me that I will not speak today. But thank you very much.

Thank you June. Good to see you. Good to see you. [applause] So, before David, I'm going to ask if we could indulge uh Daniela Taris. So, Daniela has a couple of um anxious little kids who don't want to be here. And um we're going to let her make her statement so that she can make it and then get the kids home for baths and all the other stuff that the kids need to have. So, just state your name and address, Daniellea. Daniela Tares, uh, 41250th Street, Lynen Hurst, New York.

All right. Good evening, board members. My name is Della. I am a mother, a community member, and also a proud member of the Deer Park Chamber of Commerce. And tonight, I brought my children with me because this decision is about them. It's about their future and the future of everyone behind me who has kids. We are here to ask the town of Babylon to reject the application to convert the Deer Park bowling alley into a self-s storage facility. That bowling alley is more than a building. It's a place where families like ours go on a Friday night, where kids celebrate birthdays, where neighbors become friends. It's one of those last recreational spaces we have in this community. And once it's gone, it's gone forever. And I don't think we've took a moment to acknowledge that. And so tonight, I've heard everyone's concerns. I've read [clears throat] about the concerns about the activity in the parking lot, but let's be honest, that has nothing to do with the bowling alley itself. That has to do with a parenting issue and a policy issue, a conversation for another day. Today, we're talking about what's really important. You don't tear down a community landmark because of what happens outside in the dark. You address the behavior. If we closed every family business where someone misbehaved in the parking lot, we would have nothing left in this town. Don't punish the community for the actions of a few. Look around your park. We have already watched warehouses, construction sites, and commercial developments that take over the neighborhood one piece at a time. Our streets are more congested. Our open spaces are shrinking. And families like mine are being left with fewer and fewer places to simply be together. A self- storage facility creates no community. It brings no families together. We do not need more storage units. I urge this board to stand with the families of Deer Park, with the families of the town of Babylon. Protect our neighborhoods integrity. Protect our recreational spaces. Protect the balance between where people live and where

business-like minds operate. Board members, some of you may know what I do as a living, but I went to the town of Babylon's own website. And right there under the parks and recreational, it says that department of parks, recreation, and cultural affairs is responsible for managing the various programs and recreational activities the town provides for residents. We also say that we offer day camp, swimming lessons, sports programs, free concerts, and community events because this town believes in giving families a place to go. So before I leave, I have to ask, how does approving a self-s storage facility in the park line up with that mission? Please vote no to this application. Thank you. Thank you. [applause]

So we have uh Dave Feti and then after Dave will be Joe. I think it's McDonald if I read it correctly. Uh Dave Feti, 251 East 3rd Street, Deer Park, New York. The Hamlet of Deer Park has no power. That is literally the definition of that preceding word, Hamlet. A place that does not have its own government and is under the jurisdiction of its town. Deer Park is beholden to a town government that time and time again shows it has no long-term plan for us. Since we have no power, our town government can enforce upon us all these projects like the one proposed, selling us on the idea that they increase the tax base. They increase the tax base. Yet our taxes keep rising. Only one type of person benefits from these types of mega projects. The developer. developer who builds quickly, gets their cash, and moves on to the next development in the next town, repeating the process. No thoughts beyond money have been explored. What about our social connectedness? If you ask me, Dear Park has become a place of social isolation. I've lived here for 30 years. Our places to socially interact with one another have either disappeared entirely, gone up in price, or bar entry to certain age groups. Deer Park's bowling alley has no such restrictions. It is one of the few meeting places that isn't a house of worship Deer Park has left. Deer Park's bowling alley has become an adhesive that holds the neighborhood together. A recreational hub that attracts families, school bowling teams, afterwork drinking buddies. This one building provides a variety of uses. The proposed plan to build a storage

facility meets only one use, storage. people's stuff sitting idle in the dust. Even worse is there is a bunch of competition with this proposed storage place, including one down the street that isn't even 10% full. The property owner owns a lot of land on Long Island Avenue, mostly industrial, and most of it is contained east of Carl's Path. Granting this change of zoning to him would allow him to bring cancerous industrial blight closer to residents. And that's an apt description of the situation. The property owner wants to infect a residential neighborhood for his own selfish gain and it would truly only benefit himself. You've heard a lot of pos from me so far. So allow me to end on a urban planning principle and irrefutable economic fact. Walkable neighborhoods are in high demand. That is a style of living people are willing to pay a premium for. The residential streets connecting to Long Island Avenue are within the walking distance of multiple stores, restaurants, and a recreation hub in this bowling alley. All of that adds to property values. Subtract that recreation hub and a storage facility quite literally pressed up as close as allowable to residential housing and property values decline. Is lowering property values good for the tax base? Surely not. We need to rethink our entire methodology towards planning and zoning in this town. I urge you to say no to self-enrichment at the detriment of our community. If this were a playground or a public park, we would not be having this conversation. How many thousands of people need to tell you we don't want this for you to understand? Thank you.

Thank you. Well, Joe McDonald and after Joe will be Alicia Bosi, Mr. Schaefer, members of the board, Joe McDonald, 205 Homer Avenue, Deer Park. And again, I'm like everybody else opposed to this uh zoning change. I look at this building behind you that you're proposing to put there. And I asked this question and we no one's given us numbers. Who does this benefit? All right. It doesn't benefit the people of Deer Park. If people are going to use the self storage, I'm going to say it might be the people from Dicks Hills doing it. They're the ones who coming down. They don't have any industrial up there. They'll come down. They're the town of Huntington. We're paying our taxes to you guys, you know. So benefit us, benefit our thing. And it's recreation. It's I I know it's supposedly commercial, recreational. Well, remember when they built new Yankee Stadium? They tore the old one down. They had to make it all parks because you take a park, you give a park. Well, if this is if this is recreational land and you do this to it, what's coming back to us in the community? Uh, is there another recreational spot that we're going to be getting in instead that they can build pickle ball courts or whatever they whatever is makes everybody happy these days? You know, that's my question for you. I'm fully opposed to this. I feel that you you know everything else I have to say was already said, but I think this is uh something that you guys should really consider voting no on and a affirmative know that this is, you know, we are not wanting to industrialize our neighborhoods. Great. Thank you, [applause]

Alicia Bosi. And after Alicia will be Grace uh Haney. Hello, Elicia Bazy, 59 Irving Avenue in Deer Park. Good evening, board members. My name is Alicia Bazi. I'm a lifelong resident of Deer Park, lived on Irving Avenue for the past 30 years. I'm here tonight to express my strong opposition to propose the zoning change from business to industrial for the property at 849 Long Island Avenue. This decision would fundamentally alter the character of our neighborhood and negatively impact the families who chose to make this area their home. When we purchased our homes, we made major financial investments based on the existing zoning and understanding that this would remain a residential community. An industrial development located just a few houses away from my home would significantly reduce the property values throughout the neighborhood. Families have invested their life savings into these homes and this zoning change threatens those investments. The board has a responsibility to protect the financial interest of the current residents who built their lives under this expectation of residential zoning stability. My family has proudly invested in and served this community for many years. Both of my children volunteer with the Deer Park Fire Department. My daughter served as an EMT and my son joined the department at just 13 years old. He's now 22 and currently serving his second term as a lieutenant. We care deeply about this town and take pride in helping make Deer Park a safe and caring community. Industrial operations would fundamentally change the character of our community. Once the land is reszoned

to industrial, there is no guarantee the property plan will remain a storage facility. Future industrial uses could bring even greater traffic, safety issues, environmental risk to nearby residential areas. This neighborhood was thoughtfully planned as a residential community. Allowing industrial zoning here disrupts decades of careful planning and sets a dangerous precedent for future zoning decisions. Once industrial zoning is approved, it becomes easier to justify additional commercial and industrial expansion, gradually eroding the residential character that defines Deer Park. I strongly urge the board to consider alternative locations for industrial development, keeping it east of this location in the areas designated and appropriate for industrial use without compromising established residential neighborhoods. In closing, I ask the board to consider the human impact of this decision. This is not just about a zoning classification. It is about families, children's safety, property values, and preserving a community that residents have worked hard to build and maintain for generations. Please vote against the zoning change and protect the residential character that makes our neighborhood a place people are proud to call home. Last time I was here, I was told, "Come back with the town." I was hoping it'd be standing room only. Some of us came. Some of us are maybe working on vacation, doing things with family and friends, but there are a lot of people who told me it's a done deal. You I'm guaranteed tonight to waste my time. I hope I'm not. I heard this deal was money under the table. You're wasting your time. Don't go. I'm here. Prove them wrong. Please don't ruin my neighborhood. It's my life savings. I'm

a widow. I lost my husband to COVID. My home is all I have. It's my investment. It's my life. It's my neighborhood. I appreciate you all listening and please vote no on [clears throat] this zoning change. Thank you. [applause] Grace Grace Henny Hayne Hayne and after Grace will be Andrew Reena.

Hello. My name is Grace Hayne. I live at 37 Conklin Street in Deer Park, New York. Hello, Mr. supervisor and and members of the board. I have been a lifelong resident of Deer Park since 1969. I was um former president of the Deer Park Arts Council and I'm a current member of the um of the uh board of education. I have lived in Deer Park forever. Went through schools in Deer Park, went to the bowling alley. My kids are now older, but I drive by there all the time because they live less than a half a mile away. Um I've never seen police officers there and I drive all the time. Riffraff. I don't remember seeing it, but I do know that there's there's bowling leagues, there's birthday parties, there's everything there. It's a part of our community that has been um a pillar of our community. When it changed to strike 10 at, you know, first we were like, "Oh my god, is it going to go?" And then it it remained and we were the whole community was very happy. You have 3,000 names on that petition. We don't have 3,000 people here. But um uh um how many people here just by a show of hands are from Deer Park? Okay, practically the entire room. So, we're here to make a statement. We're here to represent those 3,000. We have over a little over 3,000 children in the school district. So, those 3,000 names are probably a lot of the families. Um so, um with that, this is not going to be a positive change as as as the lawyer had said before, not a positive change for our community at all. Um, we could if you know if um I I work down um uh over by Tangard down Grand Boulevard, there's a storage unit there. It is not 90% filled at all. Um so um it's um uh if there's only going to be 26 parking spaces in this facility, then how many storage units are really going to be there? How many people is it really going to help? 26. I don't know. I mean, maybe double 52. So it's it's it's it's not practical for us. It's practical for

the landlord. I understand. If he's um getting lower rent, then maybe there's something the town can do to help him. Maybe there's something, I don't know, maybe there's another resource to do. Um if if uh he really wants a storage facility, go to the place that's now empty and back with a post office. Maybe there's something they can convert there that we have, you know, we have no no nothing from. You know, all these things that have changed in Deer Park. really we want to keep the the thread of our community as residential as possible, as family oriented as possible, and this um bowling alley, which is one of the few left in on Long Island, uh is does that for us. So, I um I I ask you, I urge you please and from all the all the people have come before me who have um really said poignant poignant things, I urge you to please vote no against this zoning change. Thank you.

Thank you, Grace. [applause] Andrew Reena and after Andrew is going to be Kristen Schuster.

Andina, 142 Overton Street. Good evening, Supervisor Schaefer [clears throat] and board members. My name is Angelina and I'm a lifelong resident of Deer Park. I'm actually third generation in my family called Deer Park home and my kids are the fourth generation of Reinas to call this town their home. I have deep roots in this town as you can imagine and I'm very protective of my town as I have a lot at stake here. I'm a parent, a homeowner, a good neighbor and anything impacts our quality of life, impacts our substantial investment in our home and property or potentially impacts our health and safety is a huge deal to me. This proposed zoning change threatens all of this and I am vehemently opposed to this change. Why do we have zoning laws? Zoning laws and regulations there separate incompatible entities and usage such as keeping heavy industrial sites away from residential homes in order to protect the resident health and safety, protect property values, and protect the quality of life that we the residents pay t pay for in taxes and mortgages. By changing the zoning for this property at 849 Long Island Avenue, you are threatening all of these things. Deer Park has several industrial areas already. And this is where these types of businesses belong. Stop encroaching on our residential areas where our families live, where our kids play, where we lay our heads at night after a hard day of work. The work that we do to earn the money to barely pay for these homes and taxes only to have it threatened by indust uh industry parking itself next to our homes. Keep industrial use buildings in the industrial courts. Currently, the property at four uh at 849 Long Island Avenue wants to change the zoning from residential to industrial so they can drop a self-s storage facility basically on my neighbor's front porches. This is wholly unacceptable. This is going to kill the property values for the surrounding area. A home is the largest investment any of us are going to make in our lives. It's a huge

investment that we pour our life savings into and we hope and pray will retain value so we can someday retire. It's most it's mostly most of our retirement plan and you have threatened to hurt our property values and therefore our lifelong investment. If the landlord wants to change the renter or lease, then he can seek to find a business that ma matches the current zoning and not force a change in zoning. There are many documented incidents that have occurred at these type of self- storage facilities. The last time I spoke at one of these board meetings to the to the board, I brought several examples of fires, chemical contaminations, explosions, all that have occurred at self-s storage facilities around the country. I didn't bring them today, but I brought them last time. I can send them to the board if needed. These type of incidents occur because people store things in these units in in these cases, dangerous items that they do not want to keep at their own homes. Self storage is inherently unmonitored when it comes to what's stored in their units. People drive up carrying boxes and bins that can contain anything and the management has no way of knowing what's stored. They're going off faith that people will be responsible, but sadly that's not always the case. People have stored fireworks in these units that have caused fires or explosions. People have stored dangerous chemicals that have the potential to contaminate the surrounding area if the container fails, if it's spilled, if it reacts with something else that they add in that unit. And I know the contract details that these things are prohibited. But often these things are stored there regardless. And who pays the price? Ultimately, it's the nearby properties that bear the brunt. And in some cases, not just with property loss, but with life loss of life and limb. This [snorts] doesn't even scratch the surface of the the breakins and vandalism that occur at these sites, which is the reason why they are usually stored in industrial courts. We have five, count them, five

storage facilities in Deer Park. [clears throat] Last time I read off the locations, which are Beor Road, Acorn, Grand B, two on Grand Boulevard and Comac Road near Tilla Avenue. There's no need for another one in our neighborhood or in our neighbor's backyard. And what happens when this business fails or closes due to the saturation of the same businesses in the immediate area? Just because the owner wants to rent a lease a storage facility doesn't mean it will remain a storage facility forever. Once the zoning is changed, if the storage if the storage unit moves out, it can be used for a large number of other industrial purposes that could be even worse for our residents. Andrew, you want to wrap up? Yep. I'm wrapping up right now. And if you have it in writing, you can also hand it up.

Sure thing. to be included. And I have to be honest, if this zoning change is allowed to happen and something happens that impacts the health or safety of my fellow neighbors, myself or my family, if somebody gets injured or if something happens to their problem to that property, please know we will join together and we will take legal action against the town, the property owner or the business that's operating at that site. We have a very solid case because we have told you all the things all the reasons why this is not safe and that there are other viable spaces for this type of business. I thank you very much for your time and uh please vote no. Thank you. [applause]

So Kristen Schustster and after Kristen's going to be John Bower. [clears throat] Hello, Supervisor, Councilman. Thank you for listening to us all tonight. I'd like to start off by reminding everybody here that the value of this area was not created by the buildings alone. It was built by the people, the families, the small businesses, and the community that make it a place people actually wanted to live in. Our board is not simply or approving or denying a storage facility. Tonight, you're setting a precedent. You're telling every future developer that an industrial zone alongside residential neighborhoods is acceptable. You're opening the door for future applicants to point back to this decision day and say you allowed it there. So why not here? The schools, the special needs, our town team and seniors. These are real members of our community that need this place. And I've spoken with them. Main Event is not an option. It is not conducive to what they need it for. They need a place to go to feel connected, included, supported, and seen. After speaking to these families and listening to the concerns of those who actually use the place, one thing became very clear to me. Bowling is not a dying sport, but affordability in the town of Babylon is. And that's exactly why this issue is bigger than a bowling alley. This isn't about preserving just one recreational building. It's about the direction our community is moving in. We cannot ignore the economic impact this has on the surrounding area, the facility that supports jobs, the other businesses nearby that it supports. And I do also understand that we can't ignore the economic reasons for LG Associates. I would also like to go off of my speech for a moment to be clear. We have only ever wanted a conversation.

We have seen News Day articles that are not totally true that paint Lou in a horrible light. I've listened to them here give only half information. But allow me to tell you, I reached out to them and there was no response as to coming up with a better solution. The community has done its part since this started. People have been showing up. Business has increased. We've shown you that we can make this successful if you give us the opportunity. There's a better path forward, one that recognizes both the value of property ownership and the value of preserving the places that keep a community connected. I watch residents fight for years over simple things. Dog parks, recreation, our downtown revitalization, and somehow those conversations always seem to stall. But industrial expansion always seems to move forward quickly. Under SECRA part 617, you the town determines what level of environmental community review is required for a proposal like this. And after reviewing the plans made available to the public and checking the last hearing, much of the focus appeared centered around the maneuverability buffering, operational layout. While the broader concern repeatedly raised by residents regarding long-term community impact were never meaningfully addressed. Apologies. After a while, people start feeling like they're sitting across from a system designed do not feel like they're sitting across from a system designed to protect the residents. They start feeling like they're standing in front of something far bigger with more money, more influence, more connection, and more power than regular people could ever have. No matter what happens here tonight, this USU has already changed something within our community. People are more aware, more involved, and far less willing to stay silent while

decisions like this change a place that we call home. Thank you, board. Thank you. Oh, I'm sorry. Lastly, I'm the one with all of our petition signatures. I'm sorry. Lastly, I have all of our petition signatures. Oh, good. You want to hand it up? Yes, please. Okay. John Bower. And after John is Clarissa Olsen Torres. Is John Bower here?

And just state your name and address. Mr. Bower. John Bower. I'm uh I rent the property in Deer Park a few minutes away driving. What's the address? Um 78 Connor Lane. Okay. Um I don't have a lot to say. I came just more just more or less to support the crowd that's here. Um, so you would be in opposition. Thank you. You would be in opposition. Uh, yeah. To just for the industrial industrialize, you know, the U property. Okay.

But, you know, a couple of key um arguments. Um it's my job to go around to the residents to inform them with paper uh copies and also the um other storage units which I went to six of them and spoke to them about you know do you want this place to open uh you know this luxurious place to hurt your business. None of them wanted this place uh to develop and open. Not sure if if any of them are here today. Um but um but these places it it's pretty um obvious to see they're like five or 10% occupied in these places. So I don't know how they're doing so well in business being occupied by that much. I mean it's it's plain to see. You know the other storage places are looking for uh business and I don't want their their businesses to be hurt uh by opening this place. And I've been bowling uh for years at this place. And you know, is it safe or not? You know, you look around in the parking lot, it's dark. You know, maybe it can use an extra light uh to brighten the parking lot. But there's like maybe a few years ago, I saw a couple people hanging out, but they also hang out sometimes at 7-Eleven or Domino's Pizza across the street. But you know also none of these companies want uh this place to close and become more like a desert you know that's more boring you know that you know people need a place to go after work uh to hang out socialize you know have recreation you know I also do other sports besides bowling I you know um at the clubs uh to represent Long Island uh in uh other sports you know um so yeah I I I don't want this place to uh develop into industrial, you know, and none of the other storage places want it either, you know. They definitely don't want it, you

know. So, yeah. Great. Well, thank you. Okay, Clarissa, I believe it's Olsen Torres. Is there Clarissa? That That's me, but I'm gonna decline. You decline. Okay. So, we'll just hand it up. Uh, Janessa Lloyd and after Janessa will be Elvia Selenus, help me out. Kardlo, we'll get to Oia, but first will be Janessa.

Hello, Janessa. And then your address. Okay, Chenisa, one flick place. Nice to meet you.

Hi, my name is Chenisa Lloyd. I am a student from Bow High School and Unifi Boyer. I am here with my friends to ask you to help us save trike bowling. A place where friendship, teamwork and inclusion come together. This is where my funds and I play unified bowling. This is here we make

memories and feeling like family. Thank you. [applause] And Janicea, what does your shirt say? What does your shirt say? Grantwood. Bwood. Unified. Bowling. bowling. Very nice. And who is your assistant behind you? Oh, my friend is Nikki. Nikki. Yes. Very good. Thank you both for coming tonight. Hi guys. How's it going? Very good. Thank you, Nikki.

Strike 10 lanes. Say Brentwoods Sapton's home lanes. Brentwood Spatzes home lanes. Same strike 10 lanes. Same strike 10. Thank you, Nikki. Nikki. Nikki, what is your last name? Just say your last name for us. Pana. P I N E D A. Thank you, Nikki. I think Nikki's running for town supervis.

Now, are you Janice Janice's mom? I am. [clears throat] And what is your name? Good evening everyone, supervisor, councilman, board members. My name is Elia Selenas Caholu.

I'm the parent of a unified bowling athlete and the founder of Janisa's World in a nonprofit for individuals with Down Syndrome and different abilities. I'm also a board member of the Long Island Women's Chamber of Commerce. I'm here today because Strike 10 Bowling means so much to our families and to the special needs community. This is more than just a bowling alley. It's a place where friendships are built, where confidence grows, and everyone feels welcomed and included. For many of our children, teens, and adults with special needs, Strike 10 is a safe space where they can socialize, be active, and simply have fun without judgment. Unified Bowling brings people together. It teaches teamwork, acceptance, and community. The memories made here are priceless. Celebrations, laughters, milestones, and moments that help our loved ones feel seen and valued. Closing Strike 10 would would not just take away a building. It would take away opportunities, routines, friendships, and a place that many families depend on for connection and support. We are asking our community and local leaders to help keep Strike 10 open. Our families deserve spaces where [snorts] everyone belongs. Please stand with us, support us, and help protect a place that has become home to so many. We trust that you will do the right thing and vote no to the resoning. Thank you so very much.

Thank you. Great job. Uh Nicholas Barber is next and after Nicar Nicholas will be Derek Sperling. Nicholas Barber. No. How about Derek Sperling?

Derek. And after Derek will be uh Lewis Seda Jr. Uh Derek Sperling, 336 Martin Drive, Westip. um my son would come up here and strongly oppose the resoning. Um I'm a regular at the bowling alley and I see a lot of teenagers and younger people hanging out and I feel like that's great for the community and while I would love for the bowling alley to stay, if it doesn't manage to stay, I do feel like it should stay the zone that it is so that another like some type of center, another building could be built so the kids in the community could have something. I just wanted to be really quick, but I strongly oppose the reasoning. Great. Thank you, Derek. Thank you. [applause]

Lewis Seda Jr. and after Lewis will be Jean McCormick.

Hey guys. So, Louisis Ada Jr. Uh I'm not from the Deer Park North Bab area, but I am a coach at Brentwood High School. Um, we use the facility for both our varsity boys and girls bowling team. Uh, this is one of my varsity bowlers here to join me. Um, what is what is his name? This is [snorts] Leopoldo Torres.

I don't know if everybody knows, but the Brentwood community extends pretty far. Uh, Brentwood West Middle School is right off UD Doll Road. So, uh, in relation to the bowling alley, this is the closest bowling alley for our high school to use for, uh, not only our varsity athletes, but, um, for our unified athletes who, uh, I think they did a fantastic job, uh, up here. And so we just ask that you guys can not only consider the Deer Park community, but also the Brenwood community, which frequently uses this as a uh our bowling alley for not only for practices, but it's a place for for them to go. Um they can go there, they can hang out. Uh the establishment has kids bowl free over the summertime, which I don't know of any other bowling alley that gives away bowling games for free for the kids to go to. And in this economy, there's not much that's free anymore. So, um, we really just ask you guys to ple please consider and, uh, we oppose no as the Burma community. Thank you.

Great. Thank you. So, uh, Jean McCormack and after Jean will be Lydia Torres. All right. I believe it was just my bad handwriting. It's actually Sean McCormick. Sorry about that. I'm sorry. No, that's my that's my fault. Bad handwriting. And just your address, Sean? Yep. One Sandy Court in Deer Park, New York. I lived just about a 3 or 4 minute walk from the bowling alley.

As a child and teen, I used to frequent the bowling alley often. It was a very good community place. So, I strongly oppose it being resoneed to industrial. I would like it to stay the bowling alley, but if it can't be, it should at least be a recreational place for people to go and enjoy with family or children to enjoy. And some of the other aspects brought up were uh safety issues. Regularly walk by the bowling alley still at this time. I've never noticed any issues there with the shrubbery planned at the storage facility. I feel like it would just be easier for someone to hide, possibly do something nefarious in the parking lot. And then other issues could be light pollution in the area, which has already gotten very bad with the addition of Tanganger years ago. I really obviously look up the sky, can barely see stars like I could when I was younger. And then there's also the business aspect of it. There are the storage facility behind the post office that was planned for a business to go in there, but they backed out. So far from this plan, it sounds like a storage facility is interested in the location, but doesn't actually 100% know if they're going in there. So, this could just end up being reszoned, a building built, and there's another empty building in Deer Park. And then on top of that, it's the job loss. I feel like the bowling alley obviously would employ more people than a storage facility would. So, that would just be a negative to community, and I really don't see the positives of how this would bring anything good to the community itself.

Thank you. Thank you. That's all I got for tonight. [applause] Lydia. Lydia. Okay. And after Lydia will be Robert Bombgartner, Lydia Reon tourist. Just pull it uh closer. Yeah. Uh I'm 25 Eastwood Avenue, Deer Park, New York. Thank you.

I've been there for 53 years. And I have to tell you that when Tanganger Outlet, I don't know if many of you at the board were there, the town said, "Oh, your taxes are going to go down." That never happened. And I have a feeling that this warehouse that's going up supposedly, uh, they're going to, you know, it's going to benefit the town, but not Deer Park. And how many warehouses do we need in Deer Park? There's one on Carl's path. It's not uh it's finished already. It goes right from the tracks after the tracks 7-Eleven all the way to where Chase Manhattan Bank is. Whole block. There's another one on Comarmac Road that went up. So, I mean, how many warehouses do we need? Should we change the name of the town to Warehouse Park? I mean, it, you know, our properties are going to go down, and I may not be around that much longer, but

I don't want my properties

to go down. I mean, I'm there 53 years. I love Deer Park. My kids went to the bowling alley and it was a safe place to go. Um, our taxes keep going up. So, nothing is happening. Tango went up. Tax was supposed to go down. No taxes ever went down. And I have a feeling that this is, you know, I know that these people uh mogul that have all these warehouse, I'm sure that they're paying people, you know, the towns and whatever. Oh, yeah. Let me build a warehouse and we'll give you money. But it's affect, you know, affecting us. That's all we have to go by. The houses that we're struggling to pay the taxes with. I just paid my taxes.

And u Thank you. the town taxes. But I'm telling you, it's it's a bad bad news to have another, you know, the trucks are going to go down the uh Eastwood and Irving all over. It's very bad. So, I hope that you reconsider your stance and do not change the town uh zoning from residential to whatever. Thank you, Lydia. Bye. Robert Balgartner. Robert, I'm sorry. Okay, that we'll just put your name in. And uh Fran Collard,

she was just here. She had family issues. She had to leave. Oh, she's not going to speak, but she opposed it. Okay. So, we'll put Yeah, we have that on her. She wrote that on here. So, we'll we'll add her uh name. And then we have George Marcottus. And after George will be Sunonny Cassal.

Good evening board. My name is George Marotus. I'm at 175 Caillou Avenue in Deer Park. Um I have worked and bowled at the Bowling Alley for many years. I've lived in Deer Park my whole life. I strongly oppose the reszoning application. It does not have any benefit for the community. As somebody that uses storage facilities with my job, not the bowling alley, my other job. Um there is plenty of things that are not good for the community. I go on in storage facilities every day. Uh we use it for all our jobs. We have multiple facilities and we are in and out my whole team at least 10 times a day coming and going, dropping stuff off, picking stuff up and that's just one storage unit in that facility. Um, they are used for offices. They are used for people that live there. They will deny it, but they do live there. It's a fact. [snorts] Um, and like I said, all the school teams and the disabled children and the special needs that use the facility, closing it would be detrimental to them. They would have nowhere else to go. And as far as putting up nice trees and shrubs and make the place look nice, they've had the property for over 25 years. They could have did it over the last 25 years and made the property around the bowl look nicer. Why do it now when they could have made the property that they had look better and be better for the community? That's pretty much all I have. Everybody else covered it. Thank you for your time.

Great. Thank you, [applause]

Sunny Cassell. And after Sunny will be Tim Ferguson. Good to see you, son. [clears throat]

Hello, Supervisor Schaefer, Town Board. I thank you for having this meeting so all these residents can have their voices heard. Uh, I want to let you know I have been a town of Babylon, a proud town of Babylon resident for over 30 years. And this I can tell you starting with um, Supervisor Pitts, Supervisor Schaefer, circle back around to Supervisor Schaefer, you have uh, made us in the town of Babylon very proud over the years. And I know you have a tough decision here, but the fact is that they need the zoning change. So the impetus should be on them. That means it's not an easy decision. Hey, let's get rid of the bowling alley. I know you want to do what's right for everybody. And and even if um they weren't going to do weren't going to do that, they might want to do something else. You know all the pluses and positives about it. But I do want to let you know as a coach too, I coach uh North Babylon uh high school boys and I did the unified too. And in case you don't know what unified, it's uh special needs kids and gened kids. So they get to bowl together. And the reason uh this is important is I can tell you uh the local centers are uh what's called a corporation called uh Lucky Strike. They will not host them. They won't I've spoken to them. They won't do it. So that that means they will have no place to go. And um even with the high schools there, there's no room anymore. These other uh centers are closing. I can you if you look, you would be surprised to see how many have closed already over the years. And uh you know, I I get it. Property values are greater than uh than the businesses are. And that's a shame. Um but when you when you look at it for these kids to

have a place to go, yes, you know, that that is important and it should be important because you guys make decisions based on uh quality of life for your residents. And uh putting another storage facility is not is not really a better quality of life for the residents. But I'll tell you another thing. Uh they do own a lot. The people that own it own a lot of property and that's great, but you know, at some point when you make a lot of money, sometimes you want to give back to the community, maybe sell it to the person that runs the center. He would be willing to buy it. That was the intention in the first place. They changed their mind. But um you know, sometimes you goodwill is better for everybody. You know, you do what's right and it comes back tfold. And uh anyway, I thank you all for your time.

Thank you, Sunny.

Tim Ferguson. And after Tim will be Amsa Hassan. Thank you for the opportunity to share with you. I've lived in Deer Park for 50.

Tim, just state your name and address. I'm sorry. Okay. Tim Ferguson, 30 Fairlon Drive, Deer Park, New York. I've lived in Deer Park for 52 years. I've been a uh congregant at the Community Presbyterian Church for 52 years and I am now a ruling elder there. In addition, I'm a member of the Deer Park Chamber of Commerce. And your wife, Linda? And your wife is Linda. Linda is my wife. Yes. She's my text buddy. Oh, yes. She told me not to tell you that though.

So, she's against you, too.

Um, getting past that has to do with the middle of the winter. Um, I've also been a you, and this is what I think is most important I can share with you. I've been a youth group director at the church for 33 of those years. I've been involved with uh working even with other church. We've been involved with going overseas doing mission and we've been very very invol we met on a on a weekly basis. We did all kinds of missionary type work. It wasn't just having fun but you know we needed to have some time to have fun. And one of the things every year I took him out if not once or twice was to go bowling. There was something about that bowling alley or any bowling alley. There used to be one down in North Babylon right north of of Southern State

Sunset and and at one point we actually had a bowling league there. But since that's been closed, this is the one that we were using and it was very important because the kids had to have a time to just go out and have fun, not always come in and study the Bible and plan the next mission program. So, I just wanted to share that with you. In addition to that, one of the young ladies that was active in my youth group in the late 90s into the beginning of the next decade was Kristen How. She goes by a different last name and she spoke to you

and she got introduced to bowling through our youth group at Deer Park. She bought a house in Deer Park, not far from where I live. I do see her occasionally and she brought up her children in Deer Park and the bowling alley was part of their events. So, I would just I would also share one more thing. I don't have a youth group right now. We don't have the large number of kids that we had in the past, but I'm very active. I'm on the what we call the session. I've been involved in activities for the church. You know, we had a nice 35 person bowling event at Deer Park Bowling just a short time ago and it was very important to have that opportunity to have that type of recreation. And in addition, our chamber of commerce did the same thing and we got just a bunch of people together instead of just being in a meeting just having social time together. It's very very important and I I urge you to vote down this request to keep our bowling alley here. And the very last thing I would share is with me is a member of our church who lives two houses north of the bowling alley. He's right over here, Carl Westerland. And I asked him a question driving here because I didn't really know all the details of of this. I said, "Was there ever a time, Carl, that you were concerned with people gathering there that were a threat to our community? Was there ever an overly police presence?" and he said, "My family's been here for 50 plus years and he is not aware of that being a problem." So, thank you for letting me share a different type of part of the use of the bowling alley for our community.

Thank you, [applause]

Amsa Hassan. Aza Hassan. Okay. And after will be Lilian Peneda. Good afternoon. Uh my name is Anza Hassan and I'm from um Six Steven Court Deer Park. Um so first of all, I got this letter on the 1st of May and it's it's dated on the 23rd of April. So like it it took them like 10 years to 10 days to get to my house. I I just wanted to point that out. Um, second of all, they [snorts] keep talking about broken glass and like um people like um hanging out in the back of the parking lot. I hang out like across the street from park from the um from the bowling alley where like the bagel shop is.

I don't see I don't see any of the stuff that they're talking about, you know? Like obviously you're going to break a glass sometime like if if you have like a glass bottle, you know? So, like it it's not like it's not the way they making it out to be. And if you want to see how it would be, you all you have to do is go to the um east of Deer Park Avenue and you'll see like what Long Island Avenue looks like and what they want to do to our side of the Long Island Avenue. I I'm I'm trained as an architect and um I'm sure you guys are all aware of um Nautical Mile in Freeport. It was free. Like they designed it for free. there was like 15 um teams of like students that went around like the whole Freeport and like um just did studies on everything for free. I'm not sure like why we can't do that here because you could like literally break it up into like three phases where like um you handle first of all like the Tangar outlets. Nobody goes there because we have to drive there. And if you want to walk there, you have to go cross the um uh the rail road and then cut through um Home Depot to like get there. But the thing about it is like people in your park, they like to walk because the Oak Bush proves it. Everybody goes there, the Oak Bush Park,

everybody goes there to like walk. So, if we if we had a way to like get pedestrians to the other side of the um uh where Tanganger Outlets is, you would have like um a lot of people just walk there. And then the the middle part where like um it's already industrial, that area could could also like be like um remodeled somehow like re it'll revitalize the whole entire um Long Island Avenue and is going to set up something for um Deer Park um train station which is like you guys are already doing all the deer all the train stations like Deer Park train station at some point is going to be like redone and there's going to be like housing there. So, um I I just I just want to like be on record that I oppose this and um that maybe like we should get in contact with NYT and like um get them to u study our neighborhood and like tell us like what what we could do to it because like there is enough room on Deer Park Avenue or on Long Island Avenue for him to like build like several of them and he already owns that land. So like um that's all I want to say.

Great. Thank you. Thank you, [applause] Lillian Peneda. Everyone, please welcome my mother, Lillian Peneda. HI, good evening everyone. Is he the president of your fan club?

Yes, [laughter] he most definitely is. And I wish I was such a great speaker as he is because he's wonderful at talking with everyone. My name is Lillian Peneda, 16 Bergen Street in Bruntwood. I'm not a resident of Dear Park, but I am a proud parent of a unified bowler. So, as a proud parent, I'm here to support and to ask and doing this for the children and not just the children in the Deer Park resident community um or the Brentwood community, all the children cuz we have school districts from everywhere that come you know to compete with them and all the kids arrive with such a smile and they're welcomed and they feel at home and you know it's it's a beautiful thing to see. We've created memories with all our special needs kids and with all our kids, you know, like coach Seda said, uh this is also for our boys on our girls varsity bowling team. So, it's all our kids, you know, they they're welcome, they feel safe, they play with pride and confidence, and it'll be so sad to see it closed down, you know, um just little places where they can go. and in the few years that he's participated, it's something that he loves and enjoys and looks forward to do. So, as a proud parent, as you know, just please, you know, we vote against it. You know, from the bottom of our hearts, our children are our future and seeing their smiles just mean the world to us, you know, especially as a special needs mom.

Great. Thank you for your time. Have a good evening, everyone. Thank [applause] you. Everyone, please say bowling for me and my friends. Thank you, Nikki. Thank you again, Nick. Boy, you are running for office, huh? Right there. So, um, thank you, Jerand Darwin. Terren, Rich, Antonio, Anthony, and Joseph.

Thank you. Thank you, Nick. So, also we just wanted to add, we're going to um add to the record uh some uh people who couldn't attend, but they did send statements in. Nancy Cyper, Terry Miller, uh Don Pillo, uh Ren Leon, Kathleen Dunn Reoa, David Denton, Sarah Mccorlin, Thomas Mcclin, Joseph Pvette, Melissa Morales, Lamont Wilson, and Margaret Keller. That's Lamont.

Oh, that's Lamont. Okay. Yeah. So, we'll hand that up. So, that'll be added as part of the record um as well. Yeah. And Nicole, did you want to add hand up? Yep. So you can hand those letters in. So that's all part of the record. So as I Oh, did you have something else? Okay. You can hand that up there. Thank you. So that'll be I'm sorry. Renon. Oh, Ren Leon. I'm sorry.

Ren Ren Leon. Um, so that that's added those uh statements that were received by email uh through the uh website that we have uh that sends messages to us who for people who can't be here or who don't want to speak at the podium. Um those will all be made part of the record as well. So as I explained at the beginning um there won't be any decision on this tonight. The idea was to get all of the input uh from everybody. Um, what I'm going to do is we're going to close the public hearing, but I'm going to give residents the opportunity until next Wednesday to submit comments online. Um, so that way because if in case some people didn't see it or I don't know how they didn't see it, Kristen, you're like the video star. So,

sorry. So, that No, I'm just saying. But but I did want to we did want to we talked before and I did want to give everyone an opportunity to still send in comments. So comments will be received until the close of business on uh Wednesday and um then though any comments that are received up until Wednesday will be incorporated into the public record. We would like it on public record that we have testimonials on our Facebook page which people have recorded because they could not be here. Right. I saw some of those. So Yes, we'll add those as well. Thank you very much.

Okay. You're welcome. Um [applause] and and like I said, there will be no decision tonight. And then what we'll do is if there's going to be a decision made, we'll notify everybody who attended and who's submitted statements. So that way you'll receive a letter if there's going to be a pending decision on the application because the board can either decide to grant the application, can vote against the uh application or make no decision at all, which in a sense kills the application. So there's three forms of action that can be taken by the board. But we'll notify everybody who's either submitted um testimony here tonight or who has submitted something by email or in writing.

Okay. Expected time frame for that. Um it could take a couple months. It's depends on us reviewing all the materials and then whether the board comes to some consensus. A lot has been given tonight that I've written notes on that I'm going to follow up on. So, I want to take an opportunity to review everything that's been submitted. There's been several suggestions made, so it's going to be it's going to take a little while to do that. Okay. So, I'll take a motion um to close and reserve and allow for uh written comments to be submitted up until the close of business next Wednesday, which I believe is May 20th. 20th.

May 20th, right? May 20th. Close of business at uh 4:30 uh by Councilman Gregory, second by Councilman Metta. All those in favor? I oppose. Okay. So, this hearing is closed. Our decision is reserved and written comments can be submitted up until close of business on May on Wednesday, May 20th. Thank you very much for coming tonight. All right, we've got the fifth public hearing. Public hearing reference to amending chapter 2 article 4 section 2-8 of the town of Bablin uniform code of traffic ordinances I don't have any cards so I'll take a motion from councilman second by councilman Martinez to close and reserve all those in favor

I opposed hearing is closed decision reserve six public hearing is a public hearing in reference to amending chapter 2 article 2 section 2-2 [snorts] of the town of Bablin uniform code of traffic ordinances I don't have any cards so I'll take a motion from councilman Martinez is second by Councilman Gregory to close and reserve. All those in favor I

opposed. Hearing is closed. Decision reserve. That's it for the public hearings. We'll go into the agenda. I don't have any resol uh I don't have any cards for the agenda. So, I'm going to ask for a um motion on the consensus resolution agenda. Before I do, are there are there any items that need to be removed or um withdrawn from the consensus resolution? Yes. Yes. Uh resolution 349. I make a motion to withdraw it. I'll second. Second by Councilman Gregory. All those in favor? I opposed. Okay. That resolution is withdrawn from the consensus resolution agenda. I'll take a motion on the consensus resolution agenda.

I make a motion. Second. Second by Councilman Gregory. All those in favor I opposed. Consensus resolution agenda is adopted without resolution 349. Resolutions for today. Uh take a motion on resolution 374. Make a motion to approve. Second. All those in favor? I opposed. Resolutions approve. Resolution 375. Make a motion to approve. Second. All those [snorts] in favor? Opposed. Resolutions approve. Resolution 376. I offer 376. Second. All in favor? Oppose. Resolutions approve. Resolution 377. Motion to approve. Second. All those in favor? I. Opposed. Resolutions approve. Resolution 378. Make a motion to approve. Second. Would the clerk call the role? Councilman Monetta? Yes. Councilman Martinez?

Yes. Councilman Gregory? Yes. Supervisor Schaer? Yes. Resolutions approved. Four votes in favor, one absent. Resolution 379. I for resolution 379. Lee second. All in favor? Opposed? Resolution's adopted. Congratulations, Javier. Uh, now I'm going to go to the open portion and to the cards. I have Ambassador Dr. Malik Abid. Thank you for your patience, Ambassador.

Thank you so much, honorable Supervisor Sheffer and the board members. Uh, my name is Ambassador Malik Nadim Abid and I'm resident of 82 Dura Road, Melville, New York. But I'm here to speak on behalf of the Muslim community of uh Deer Park. I'm sure you all know uh there had been uh the hateful gravity, you know, spread around the masjid in the last month or so. Uh today we were supposed to have a few of the Muslim community from that uh area but the whole mashallah the imam is here, our dear other members are here. But you can imagine uh honorable supervisor the immigrant communities are kind of very sensitive when the hatred is spread around them. The most civilized and the most peaceful community they become scared of these situation. So I was expecting half of the hall to be full today but most of them they are even scared to come. Many people even spoke and promised me that they will be coming. So my expression today two things I wanted to make a point I by the way I drove two hours to speak here for 3 minutes but anyways I think 3 minutes would be enough. The first point I want to make is if Anthony and Antonio can sit on the same table peacefully and can work together, why can't Malik sit on the same corner or on the same neighborhood and go to his place of uh worship peacefully? So all my life almost 30 years in Long Island, I have stood up and fought for the rights of all my neighbors. This is the time that I expect my neighbors to stand up and fight for our rights and peaceful existence in that neighborhood. The second point I want to make, uh,

honorable supervisor, we talking about a very small problem right now, the gravity, and we are ignoring a 10-ft gorilla in the room. After the police department and district attorney and your town's staff came two weeks ago to the masjid, the Suffach County Police put a uh a post on the Facebook page of the Suffach County Police Department's Facebook page. They got almost 700 remarks or comments on that post and I was shocked honestly. 30 years in Long Island, 27 years in Nassau County and only three years in Suffach County. I was shocked and very disappointed to see out of 700 messages majority of them they were full of hate threatening and some of them even violent nature. I never knew that many of my neighbors are so hateful about us. And now look at this such a big community. We only have four members to represent the community. I would very humbly urge you honorable supervisor and the board members come and stand with us and show our community that you are always supporting us and I know you people support us and uh supervisor Schffer I know you for 25 years. You are a great leader of this community and suffer county but this is a tough time for my community in Deer Park. I would request all of you to come and support us and show your solidarity that you are with us in this tough time for my community. Thank you so much. God bless America and God bless you all.

Yes, we will. Uh Kevin Hessen.

Hi, my name is Kevin Hess. I live at 40 Ridge Roadley Heights. I'm here in opposition to the Bristol Technology Park. We haven't forgotten and we're really asking, you know, what are you building? I hear the Suffach County Technology Board approved the plans this week. Yet, I see no plans. With my fellow residents in Deer Park complaining about the uh you know, the Boeing lane being turned into storage facility, I saw a blueprint of an actual storage facility. With the Bristol Technology Park, all I see is 75 acres of cement. I don't see any types of wiring, types of water works, any types of real construction. So my real question is how can the Suffach County Planning Board approve plans when they're in none and how can the town council here approve the environmental impact statement when there's just really you know they don't know what they're going to do. Now when I came I missed the November meeting when you had that here and I think one of the residents hit the nail on the head. Is this a data center? Because it checks a lot of boxes and let me review a few things. The perimeter there's only one way in and one way out of this place. Those bays that I think are for the 394 bays for the tractor trailers, there are no trailer parking spaces anywhere in the facility, which is odd for a transportation facility. Are those bays for lithium ion storage? I know last month that you guys had a meeting about battery energy storage systems. These systems are only used to condition power for great consumption. There's no type of like they're not sources of electricity if the power goes down. They're for data centers and data centers only. you know, you you denied it, but in 10 years, will you approve that? Now, there's one way in, one way out. It has a raised floor, which is kind of odd, but these data centers always always have them. Um, you don't have the trailer parking lot. When I came here last time and I told you about my concern about the diesel generation poisoning the atmosphere, you guys kind of looked at me like, "Don't worry about that. It's not a concern." Indeed, the lawyer who proposed this for the applicant, he said, "It's not a high

it's not a hightraic area. It's not a logistics center." By him making that very statement kind of implies he knows what it is. So, I'm put I'm putting a question to all five of you right now. What is it? I have a right to know. Has many people in here told you, "My house is concerned. My family's concerned. You know, you're going to ruin my property values. Are you going to are you going to knock my house down to make a road for this place? What are you guys building? There's no detailed blueprints. When I asked to move the recharge area from the town water from the uh water pumps house to the far side, they no one uh you wouldn't do that. And I kind of know why because if you start using if it's a data center and you're going to start pumping water to cool the uh computers, there are currently five wellheads at the uh Circle Drive waterhouse, you're talking about like 200 300 wellheads. These places are huge. They extract water at a phenomenal rate. They heat the water and they pour it in the bay. I can't believe any one of you would actually allow this to be done. What are they building? At first I thought it was a u you know a resource uh reclaim center. It's not. I have a right to know the fact that the town the Suffach County approved it. It's just more you know government indecision. But Rich, we're holding you accountable. These people here don't want their bowling alley turned into a storage facility. I don't want 102 acres of pristine nature reserve turned into anything. I mean, what is it? I have a right to know. Excessive water capacity. When we asked them if we could hook up our own sewer system to the water capacity they had, they said you couldn't do it. And that's right, because if they're using it to dump hot water into the bay, you're not going to do that with sewage. I'll wrap it up and my question is this. What are you building? Am I going to come back here in a few months? You know, you seem to be proceeding forward. You adopted the town environmental, the county adopted the planning board. You know, am I going to be back here in a few months or should I uh you know, are we going to keep playing this game? I

have a right to know, Rich. You should tell, you know, you should come forward. You approve the plan, you should do something about it. Thank you for [clears throat] your time, people. Thank you. Is there anyone else who wishes to address the board? Okay, seeing none, take a motion to adjurnn from Councilman Gregory, second by Councilman Martinez. All those in favor? Opposed? Oh, wait. Anthony Minion. I almost forgot. Before we adjourn,

uh, open portion Anthony Minion, 886 County Line Road, Amonyville, 1A and 1B, both dated for the May 13th, 2026 meeting. uh letters that were received in town clerk's off uh letters received in the town clerk's office on May 11th May 13th. May 13th they were received today. Is that during the May? Oh, I'm sorry. May 13th meeting. Um but they were 26. Nope.

I'm thinking ahead. Um uh these are letters dated May 11th, 2026. So we'll hand them up and make them part of the official record. Now we can adjourn. Thank you. Thank you everyone.