A builder proposing the construction of two new houses on a wooded hill in Centerport could be putting a bald eagle habitat in jeopardy.

A family of bald eagles have been capturing the imagination of people off East Main Street since a pair made its nest there in 2017.

The developer applied for a variance to build a 21-foot retaining wall as part of the construction.

Robert Schwartz, founder of the Bald Eagles of Centerport Facebook group, says the town should be “bolstering the eagles up, not taking way the habitat and their food source.” Schwartz says his group has collected more than 5,000 signatures on a petition to stop the proposed development.

“What makes the…project even more dangerous is it's at eye level with the nest,” he said. “They'll see everything and they're very sensitive to the change around them. Any interference could mean that they could abandon the nest.”

The Huntington Town Zoning Board was scheduled to vote this week on construction of the retaining wall, but the vote is now postponed until the state Department of Environmental Conservation weighs in.

The next Town Board meeting on the matter is scheduled for May. Schwartz and fellow bald eagle lovers say they will be there to make their voices heard.

“I will not stop until the town comes to some sort of compromise or understanding that this can't be done in this area,” he said.

News 12 called Rosewood Developers for comment about the proposed construction, but didn't get a call back.