Dear Friends and Supporters:
The Coalition has continued to make progress in our fight to prevent the massive development that has been proposed for the Gyrodyne site from moving forward.
GYRODYNE’S MEGA DEVELOPMENT PLAN IS TIED UP IN COURT:
As many of you know, back in April the Village of Head of the Harbor, Coalition and 23 nearby property owners filed suit in New York State Supreme Court to block the Gyrodyne mega development from moving forward. No determination has been made. We are currently awaiting the decision from the Judge who has been assigned the case. The Coalition has made clear for several years that if Gyrodyne’s subdivision plan was approved based on a flawed environmental review that does not satisfy legal requirements for a “hard look” at environmental impacts, we would have no choice but to challenge the process in court.
SUPPORT IS STRONG FOR COMPROMISE PLAN TO PRESERVE THE FAIRGROUNDS:
The Coalition continues to support the Village of Head of the Harbor Mayor Douglas Dahlgard’s call for the entire Gyrodyne site to be preserved as a public park. If that is not possible, however, hundreds of local residents have expressed support for the Compromise Plan that would preserve Flowerfield Fairgrounds as open space by clustering development on parts of the Gyrodyne site already occupied by parking lots and buildings. Elected officials including County Legislators Rob Trotta and Kara Hahn, State Assemblyman Steve Englebright, Brookhaven Town Supervisor Ed Romaine and Councilman Jonathan Kornreich are all supporting the Compromise Plan as a way to avoid a drawn out legal battle over the misguided plan to pave over the Fairgrounds with a massive commercial development.
ENVIRONMENTAL BOND ACT PASSES:
Thanks to everyone that voted in favor of Prop 1 on Election Day, the $4.2 billion New York State Environmental Bond Act passed and we are now one step closer to saving Flowerfield Fairgrounds. Included in the Bond Act is $650 million allocated for open space preservation in our state which potentially provides the funding for preserving the undeveloped open space on the Gyrodyne property. In a series of meetings over the past seven months, representatives from our Coalition along with state and county officials have advanced a plan with the Peconic Land Trust and the state Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) to purchase the undeveloped portion of the Gyrodyne property in Saint James. All parties must now come together to achieve the community’s goals of seeing the Fairgrounds preserved and Gyrodyne fairly compensated for the value of the property.
While these are all positive developments, THE BATTLE IS FAR FROM OVER, AND WE NEED YOUR CONTINUED SUPPORT.
Here’s what you can do to help:
- Consider making a donation to the legal fund, and urge others to do so.
- Call, e-mail or write to elected officials in the Town of Smithtown to let them know you support the
Compromise Plan to preserve Flowerfield Fairgrounds.
For information on how to donate and/or contact elected officials is on our site.
Thank you again for working with us to preserve and protect the quality of life in our community.
