Residents and public officials spoke out against a plan Wednesday to build a hotel, medical offices and assisted living units on a 75-acre property in St. James.

They argued against the Gyrodyne project at the Smithtown Planning Board hearing, saying that it would be a burden to those living near Stony Brook Road.

Newsday reported that Brookhaven Supervisor Edward Romaine called the proposed development “far-reaching and possibly devastating,” saying that it would leave the area with a “legacy of diminished water quality and traffic jams.”

Many have suggested that the county purchase the land to keep it an open space.

According to Newsday, Smithtown environmental officials and Gyrodyne representatives will incorporate comments from the public and public agencies into an environmental impact statement later this year.

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