Community fights to save Bedell Dairy Farm property in Merrick

The Nassau County Planning Commission voted Thursday to withdraw the application to knock down the farmhouse as a fight to make the site a landmark continues.

News 12 Staff

Jun 15, 2023, 9:44 PM

Updated 541 days ago

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Residents and neighbors of Merrick are still working to save the Bedell Dairy Farm property.
The early 20th century home that was once owned by the Bedell family sits vacant and abandoned.
The owner of the property wants to tear it down and build three homes on the property, but members of the community say that plan would destroy an important piece of Merrick's history.
"It was one of the few milkhouses and farms in this area during the turn of the century," said Historical Society for the Merricks president John Pinto. "It provided milk for the Merrick and the Freeport communities."
The Nassau County Planning Commission voted Thursday to withdraw the application to knock down the farmhouse as a fight to make the site a landmark continues.
Those against a new development also say there are safety concerns about the current plans.
"They're going to build all three houses on what I call an alleyway, a 15-foot-wide alleyway," says North Merrick Public Library Board of Trustees director Richard C. Smith. "That means all the garbage, FedEx trucks, this is our exit, it just creates a safety hazard."
The home is currently not able to be lived in and that there is no running water or electricity.