Brentwood School District Sues Town Over Heartland Project

BRENTWOOD, NY - The Brentwood School District recently filed a lawsuit against the Islip Town Board and developers of Heartland Town Square regarding the proposed project, according to court documents.

"Our job as a school district is to educate students in a nurturing environment while providing them with the tools for success," Superintendent of the Brentwood School District Richard Loeschner said. "This development has the potential to limit our capacity to provide the necessary tools critical to our students by placing a strain on the limited resources available to us."

The development would include building 9,000 apartments, 3.2 million square feet of office space and 1 million square feet of retail at the site of the former Pilgrim State Psychiatric Center.

The 450-acre property purchased by Jerry Wolkoff back in 2002 for a total of $20 million.

This week, the district announced the decision to sue the Town Board and developers along with co-plaintiffs, Joseph Fritz, a lifelong Brentwood resident and a local organization, 4 Towns Civic Association.

The district claims the project would have "devastating impact on the children attending the already underfunded and overburden school district," according to a statement from school officials.

Related:

• Town Board Votes Unanimously To Approve Zoning Change For Heartland Town Square Project
• Hundreds Attend 2nd Heartland Project Public Hearing
• Islip Town Officials Hold Informational Meeting On Heartland Development Project
• Another Public Hearing For Heartland Project Scheduled
• Public Hearing On Heartland Project Cancelled
• Town Board Votes Unanimously To Approve Zoning Change For Heartland Town Square Project

The school also claims that the development is projected to add 7,310 children to the district which currently has 19,000 students causing a "disproportionate tax burden" on homeowners within the district, according to the statement.

However, Wolkoff said that the development would only add a "minimal" amount of school-aged children to the district, according to a report in News12.

“It’s mind boggling to me, that they should even contemplate a lawsuit,” he told News12. “I think it’s ridiculous.”

While construction has not yet begun, in July the Town Board approved the first phase of the project after voting unanimously to approve a zoning change for area to allow the construction of Heartland Square.

Candace Gomez, an attorney with Bond, Schoeneck and King representing the school district, said that the town should not have approved the first phase.

"The proper legal procedures were not followed, the significant negative impacts upon the school district were not addressed, and the valid concerns of the larger community regarding the inevitable increase in traffic and environmental damage were not adequately considered," she said.

Islip Town Councilman John Cochrane Jr. said the town conducted a "long and hard" review process, according to a report in Newsday.

"I’m kind of shocked that they would go out and do this. It’s such a long way out that to stop the procedure right now, it’s not going to do anything but slow it down," he told Newsday. "Our planning commission worked extremely hard to justify all our requests: infrastructure, fire department, ambulance."

Michael Capuano, President of Citizens for a Better Islip, says that the project will benefit the community and provide opportunities for certain groups.

"Heartland has been a true community effort since its inception, with 15 years of careful planning, studying and listening. It will provide limitless opportunities for local taxpayers and future generations of hard-working residents who want to stay on Long Island, including Millennials and empty nesters who are leaving because of the high cost of living," he said. "Heartland will also provide some 25,000 jobs upon it's completion, along with a vastly expanded tax base, that will support the local community, including the local school district."

The Town has been holding several meetings over the past few months regarding the project, receiving mixed reactions from residents.

Most recently, in September the Town Board cancelled another public hearing after an objection was filed by Huntington Town Supervisor Frank Petrone citing traffic concerns on Commack Road and Sagtikos Parkway.

What do you think? Do you approve or oppose of the Heartland Project? Let us know in the comments below.

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