By Taylor Fleming
St. Johnland Development Group Makes Its Case For Whisper Landing Assisted Living Facility
Public comments on proposed Whisper Landing Assisted Living Facility
After St. Johnland attorney Rich Scheyer made his presentation to Smithtown’s Board of Zoning Appeals (BZA) the Board of Zoning Appeals then opened up the meeting to members of the community. First to the ;)
Glen Gruder addresses the BZApodium was Glenn Gruder who applauded St. Johnland for its compromises, but insisted that the building was against Town Code, which states that construction of anything on environmental sensitive lands is prohibited. According to Gruder, the three exceptions to that rule do not apply to St. Johnland. “Everything tonight is void,” said Gruder.
Jan Vanderbaan, who lives on the corner of 25A and River Heights Drive stressed the dangers of intersection in front of his house and adjacent to the proposed site. “We’ve pulled a lot of people out of accidents,” said Vanderbaan. He urged the Board to “do something about it” before this site is considered.
Kristie Golden, doctor and administrator, raised many concerns about the residents of the assisted living facility, including the use of wheelchairs, which St. Johnland had originally said it would not allow and the dangers of having memory impaired residents near 25A.
;)
Residents line up to address concernsBill Kearney presented five boards of photographs and maps to illustrate his problems with the project. He showed pictures of erosion and accidents that already occurred near the proposed site. “There’s no traffic expert better than me,” said Kearney. “I sit in my living room and watch it everyday.” He also told the Board that he has called a realtor who told him he has already lost a lot of value on his house. Following his arguments, Kearney noted that he was not unwilling to compromise, but this was not the appropriate location for this project. “There’s a lot of alternatives,” said Kearney.
Other members of the Town of Smithtown, who are in support of the development, spoke about the positive aspects of this project. Craig Andreoli, attorney in Smithtown who specializes in elder law, said he believes in the benefits of these facilities. “Living alone accelerates depression,” said Andreoli. He noted the safety, socialization, nutrition and health care aids that assisted living facilities provide senior citizens.
Diane Carroll said she and seven of her neighbors met to discuss the project, which they were all originally opposed to. Following a very positive meeting with the developers, however, she said she believed the project was the most appropriate for this site. “We need to be careful what we wish for because this property will be sold,” said Carroll. “We feel this is the best use for the property.”
Mario Gino, former president of the Smithtown Chamber of Commerce, stood before the Board and reinforced the fact that developers of the St. Johnland project are residents of Smithtown.
Following the input from the community,representatives from St. Johnland came back to the podium to address some of the questions. Overall, the group and the Board wanted to reiterate the fact that this meeting was called for and appropriate. Responding specifically to Gruder’s arguments against St. Johnland, Flynn said, “They have the right to be here.”
The meeting was adjourned after almost three hours of discussion.