Site plans for the proposed new supermarket in South Farmingdale After listening to both sides of the controversy, the Town of Oyster Bay board has approved the plans for a Stop & Shop supermarket on a busy intersection in South Farmingdale. Since the proposal was raised eight years ago, many Farmingdale residents, including members of Concerned Citizens of Farmingdale, argued that the project was a bad idea because it will increase traffic. The land could be put to better use, said opponents, such as developing it for affordable or golden-age housing, or offices for high-tech and higher-paying jobs to improve the area's economy.

Those who wanted the supermarket, such as Stop & Shop's own civic group, Citizens for a New Liberty, said it will bring about $500,000 in tax revenue, provide jobs and offer a choice to local consumers. Evidently the board agreed as it unanimously voted last week to change the zoning to permit the store's construction to move forward. "After listening to the community, we decided that a Stop & Shop appeared to be the best use for the property," said Town of Oyster Bay Supervisor John Venditto about the decision. "I just hope that we don't live to regret this decision," said Mike Grello after hearing the proposal was approved. Grello, the former president of the Concerned Citizens Association of Farmingdale, was one of the most vocal opponents of the plan.

The site of the 81,103-square-foot store to be built at Motor Avenue and Main Street, an the eastern portion of the 30-acre Liberty Finishing site, a Superfund site which is in its final stages of its federally funded environmental cleanup. The plan includes building a gasoline station on the property that will operate six-days a week. According to the Supermarket's website, after the permit process, construction on the building will soon begin and take about ten months. It should be open next year.