LATEST UPDATE
February 2024
Dear Friends and Supporters,
We hope you have been well and are looking forward to an early spring! Thank you for your continued support. We are pleased to give you the following update regarding developments in our efforts to preserve the Flowerfield property.
On February 6, the NewYork State Supreme Court issued a decision denying the motions by Gyrodyne and the Town of Smithtown to dismiss the lawsuit as to the Coalition and three individual petitioners. Although the court granted the motions to dismiss as to the remaining petitioners, it ruled that our Coalition and those three neighboring property owners have standing to sue.
Gyrodyne and Smithtown now must file answers to the petition along with other documents, or must appeal the court’s decision. At this point, we are not certain which action they will take, but either way litigation will continue.
In the meantime, the State Department of Environmental Conservation’s appraisal process is underway, and we expect it will be completed by late spring or early summer. Although we have no formal involvement in any negotiations, we are hopeful they will commence in earnest once the appraisal is completed, and that the property will be purchased for preservation. We stand ready to assist in any way we can.
Thank you once again to those of you who have agreed to be petitioners in the lawsuit. We believe that the sheer number of petitioners helped to impress upon the court and opposing parties the extent to which our community supports the merits of our actions and the value of preserving this unique parcel of land. Thank you also to all of you for your funding support and for helping to spread the news regarding our mission.
Success is not a certainty. Anything can happen. Although the Coalition has been able to continue paying for the expenses of this litigation, we ask for your continued financial support to ensure that we can see this through and protect the character of our community. Remember, all donations are tax deductible.
Please feel free to contact us with any questions or concerns.
Thank you,
Judith Ogden Joseph Bollhofer
Board Member Board Member
SUPPORT THE NEW GYRODYNE COMPROMISE PLAN
A WIN-WIN plan that will benefit Gyrodyne and the community
- Allow development of all parts of site with existing buildings and parking lots
- Cluster new development away from existing open space areas of the property
- Promote compact, orderly development consistent with smart growth principles
- Reduce traffic impacts that would result from Gyrodyne’s sprawling commercial development
- Save Flowerfield Fairgrounds as open space for use by the community
Say NO! To the Gyrodyne Mega Development
TOO BIG For Saint James – Head of the Harbor
Just won’t work on a site with no access to major highways
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Roads needed to serve the development simply do not exist here
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Belongs on a site surrounded by four-lane highways
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Conflicts with Town of Smithtown Draft Comprehensive Plan
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Would devastate Mills Pond National Historic District
OUR TWO-LANE ROADS CAN’T SUPPORT
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Parking for more than 2,500 Vehicles
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A Multi-Story 125 Room Hotel
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A 4,000 Square Ft Meeting Space
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175,000 Square Ft Office Space
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250 Assisted Living Housing Units
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A 7-Acre Sewage Plant
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An Unrelenting Stream of Traffic on Route 25A and onto Local Roads
As per FEIS (Final Environmental Impact Statement) March 10, 2021
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Gyrodyne’s plan is in direct conflict with the Town of Smithtown’s new Comprehensive Plan and will destroy the character of our community forever
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We need to make sure the Gyrodyne mega development is not sneaked through while the Comprehensive Plan is being approved
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The Town Board MUST enact a MORATORIUM on the approval of major development projects until the Comprehensive Plan is completed
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The Town Board should change the Gyrodyne site back to residential zoning like it was before
HOW YOU CAN HELP:
1. Donate below or by check to help fund the legal fight that is necessary to keep the proposed development from becoming a reality.
2. Write to the Smithtown Supervisor and Town Council Members below. Tell them you support the Compromise Plan for purchase and prevention of the open space, and express your concerns regarding the conflict between Gyrodyne’s proposed development and the Draft Comprehensive Plan.
Donate
For a minimum donation of $25 you can get a Save Flowerfield lawn sign to show your support.
Please leave a note in your PayPal transaction indicating so.
To make a donation using PayPal, click Donate below:
or make checks payable to and mail to:
Saint James – Head of the Harbor Neighborhood Preservation Coalition
Box 83
St. James, NY 11780
Saint James-HOH Neighborhood Preservation Coalition is a tax exempt 501(c)(3) public charity. Donations are tax deductible to the full extent of the law.
The Coalition was established to promote public awareness, community outreach and other activities intended to protect the unique rural-suburban character of the community, and to advocate for responsible actions by involved local governments to enact and administer appropriate land use policies and decisions consistent with its goals and objectives. The Coalition will solicit financial contributions to fund these activities, and will collaborate with individual citizens, other community organizations and government agencies as necessary.
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