Mastic Beach redevelopment advances with Brookhaven's environmental OK

Brookhaven is moving closer to final approval of a $500 million redevelopment of downtown Mastic Beach that will add hundreds of new homes and shops to the South Shore hamlet's dilapidated business district.

The town board on Jan. 29 voted 7-0 to accept the findings of an environmental study — one of the last steps before the board considers enacting zoning changes that will pave the way for redevelopment of about 37 acres and 140 parcels in a triangle-shaped section of the hamlet's blighted Neighborhood Road area. 

The town board will vote on the zoning changes at a later date, Supervisor Dan Panico said.

The town board next month is expected to adopt a findings statement supporting the creation of a Neighborhood Road revitalization area and formally adopting a map outlining details of the redevelopment plan.

“It’s another step forward in the procedural process toward the overall revitalization of downtown Mastic Beach," Panico said Monday in a phone interview. “There’s a ton of work that has been done to get us to this point, and there is a ton of work that has to be done.”

Mastic Beach's downtown redevelopment has been hailed by town officials and community leaders as a potential renaissance for the former village, which folded in 2017.

Many residents have described the downtown as pockmarked with decaying buildings and beset with social problems such as drug use and prostitution.  

A public hearing held last August to discuss redevelopment drew a largely supportive crowd of more than 100 residents. Some supporters, however, voiced concerns about whether the new downtown could support an influx of traffic.

The plan, crafted by town-appointed master developer Beechwood Organization, of Jericho, calls for construction of up to 630 new homes, including apartments and townhouses, and a total of 130,000 square feet of retail and office space. Town and Beechwood officials have said the downtown also will get new sewers and storm drains, and underground electrical service to replace overhead power lines.

Panico and Brookhaven Councilwoman Karen Dunne Kesnig, who represents Mastic Beach on the town board, said they expect shovels in the ground later this year to start building a sewer plant and other infrastructure, as well as demolish existing buildings.

Construction of new homes and retail space most likely would start next year, Panico said.

In a statement posted on the company's website, Beechwood officials said they expect construction to occur in five phases across about eight years.

Copies of the environmental study adopted last week are available to the public at the Mastics-Moriches-Shirley Community Library at 407 William Floyd Pkwy. in Shirley and at the library's Mastic Beach satellite branch on Neighborhood Road. 

By Carl MacGowan

carl.macgowan@newsday.comCarlMacGowan

Carl MacGowan is a Long Island native who covers Brookhaven Town after having previously covered Smithtown, Suffolk County courts and numerous spot news and feature stories over his 20-plus year career at Newsday.