The Islip Town Board met on Tuesday afternoon. Here's a few of the top headlines:
Town Hires Consultant to Study Serota Project
The board approved an agreement to bring BFJ Planning onboard to review a change of zone application from Serota Properties for its Islip Pines development. Serota is to build 250 one and two-bedroom housing units, more than 400,000 square feet of retail space, a movie theater and 1.3 million square feet of industrial space in Holbrook.
Echoing concerns expressed in the past, a Sayville resident told the board Tuesday that the development, at the intersection of Vets and Sunrise highways, could destroy the downtown areas of several towns.
Islip Town Supervisor Tom Croci said the purpose of hiring a consultant, whose fees will be covered by Serota, was "to study the affects that this kind of development would have on the downtowns." Croci added that there will be several more opportunities for public comment on the proposal before the town votes on the rezoning.
State Funding Cut, Four to Lose Jobs
The board vote 5-0 to move forward with laying off four people who run the Town's Teen Age Services Act (TASA) after state funding for the program, meant for pregnant and parenting teens, was eliminated last year.
"The Town has determined that it is no longer economically feasible in the current and immediately foreseeable financial climate to operate the TASA program given that there is no longer available Medicaid funding," the adopted resolution reads.
The layoffs take effect on Aug. 20.
Town Sells Land for $500K
The board approved the sale of a surplus municipal property in Islandia to Pinewood Development Company for $503,100. The vacant property on Old Nichols Road was sold as part of a Town effort, led by Deputy Supervisor Trish Bergin Weichbrodt, to determine the best use of the Town's land holdings.
"This sale represents just a small part of land sale opportunities available to the Town," Bergin Weichbrodt said in a statement released after the meeting. "By responsibly shedding our Town of these excess properties, we can help restore Islip's fiscal health, asset by asset. We will get these properties back on the tax rolls and bring business to Islip."
West Islip Softball Team Honored
The board recognized the West Islip Little League Majors Girls softball team, which captured the District 34 Williamsport last year.
"This team is made up of incredible athletes," Town Councilman Steve Flotteron said. "They practice hard and play harder."
Coach Bob Wandzilak called the team's first district championship "fantastic, incredible."
"They are such great athletes," Wandzilak said of the girls. "You are lucky to get the best of the best throughout the whole little league system."
The next regularly scheduled Town Board meeting is on Aug. 14.
