Residents fear eminent domain in proposed Mastic Beach redevelopment plan
The town is holding a public hearing Tuesday night on a proposal tied to the plan.
More Stories
Residents in Brookhaven say they are concerned they could lose their homes through eminent domain as town officials consider acquiring properties for a major redevelopment project in Mastic Beach.
The town is holding a public hearing Tuesday night on a proposal tied to the Mastic Beach Neighborhood Road Redevelopment Plan.
A proposed redevelopment plan in Mastic Beach is drawing strong opposition from residents and business owners who fear they could lose their homes and businesses through eminent domain.
During Tuesday night's Brookhaven Town Hall public hearing, residents voiced frustration after receiving letters stating that the town could acquire their properties through eminent domain as part of the Neighborhood Road Redevelopment Plan.
"I feel like we are being lied to. Beechwood is lying to us. You're lying to us," one resident told officials during the meeting.
Neighbor Kerry Dunne said she supports improving the area but not at the expense of homeowners.
"We do need to revitalize the downtown, but not by taking my home," Dunne said.
Several business owners also expressed concerns, saying they support revitalization but believe the compensation being offered for their properties is far below market value.
"There are people that depend on me for their paychecks," said Robert Dean, owner of Anchor Auto & Truck Repair. "For Beechwood to negotiate in bad faith and to think $700,000 is going to buy a business that is thriving is ridiculous."
The proposed project includes more than 550 new housing units, new restaurants, community gathering spaces and infrastructure improvements.
Some residents questioned whether the community could handle the additional growth.
"If you include 600 more homes in this community, and there are two people per household, that is 1,200 more cars that will be driving around in our extremely compact, gridlocked community," resident Tyler Goban said. "I don't think that is the best move."
Beechwood CEO Steven Dubb said the company's priority is to reach voluntary agreements with property owners before considering eminent domain.
"Our goal is to reach mutually acceptable resolutions, with eminent domain only being utilized when other acquisition efforts have been exhausted," Dubb said.
Brookhaven Town Supervisor Dan Panico acknowledged residents' concerns, saying many of the comments focused on property values.
"There's obviously going to have to be a discussion," Panico said. "From the couple handfuls of folks that spoke, most of the comments centered on value. I'm hopeful that Beechwood is going to be able to reach and bridge some of the gap."
According to Beechwood, the company has 53 of the 129 privately owned properties included in the project under contract. It is still negotiating with the owners of the remaining 76 properties.
The company said 11 of those remaining properties are owner-occupied homes, while the rest are rental properties with a landlord or commercial buildings.
