By Hank Russell
Those in attendance at LIMBA (Long Island Metro Business Action) on May 8 heard from Babylon Town Supervisor Rich Schaffer on the latest developments in the town and how the town’s quality of life has improved.
Schaffer began his presentation by talking about how he has cracked down on quality-of-life issues in the town. He noticed that Alan Bodie, Suffolk County’s chief deputy district attorney, was in attendance and told him that, of all the DAs he has worked with as supervisor, he said the current DA, Ray Tierney, has been the best “and I’m saying that as a Democratic supervisor. … We have a great working relationship with [the DA’s] office.”
Babylon had been plagued by dilapidated homes, vape stores, drug dealing and prostitution, sex trafficking and “the horrendous things that you read about,” Schaffer said.
“In the past, you would get lip service from the DA’s office,” he continued. “[Tierney’s] people are on the front lines with us, which gives us the added power to get the arrests and the information they need and to make sure we close down these locations.”
Over the past two years, the DA’s office has helped the town execute over 100 search warrants on commercial and residential properties and “there are so many happy people,” Schaffer said.
“This is the best team we ever had,” Schaffer said, referring to Tierney, Sheriff Errol Toulon, Jr., and Police Commissioner Kevin Catalina. “In the past, it’s always been egos interfering; you don’t get any of that here. That’s critical because each one of them has specific powers under their jurisdiction. When they’re all used together in coordination, you get great results.”
AT the town level, Schaffer revamped the Public Safety Department. The department used to have part-time employees patrolling the parks during the summer. “It really wasn’t doing what needed to be done,” he said. “It was almost more like a mall security force. The way things are today, there are much more serious issues, in terms of dealing with the public and making sure the public’s rights are respected.”
For the Public Safety Department, Schaffer brought on Jerry Gigante, former chief of detectives for the Suffolk County Police Department; Matt Lewis, who was Gigante’s deputy inspector; and Kevin King, a retired SCPD inspector who runs the town’s Code Enforcement Division.
The town also has 13 full-time park rangers, which he says are a diverse group. “Every resident gets to see [the force] is made up and looks like the makeup of the town.”
He also discussed the latest projects being built in the town. He said the town is “97-98% developed” and talked about that, when he succeeded Steve Bellone as town supervisor, he was “in the middle of” the Wyandanch Rising project, as well as the Copiague and East Farmingdale Vision Plans.
He credited Bellone for bringing the Wyandanch Rising project to fruition and bringing a Compare supermarket to the community. “They hadn’t had a supermarket [in Wyandanch] since Bohack’s [which closed in 1977],” he said, adding that, after Bohack’s closure, residents had to trek to Pathmark in Babylon to go grocery shopping.
When Compare came into Wyandanch in the 1990s, Bellone got Wyandanch Rising going, Schaffer said. “If you drive past the train station, you can see commercial, retail and housing.” The south side of the project will comprise of homeowner-based condominiums and townhouses.
In another act of bipartisanship, Schaffer has worked with County Executive Ed Romaine to build a new community health center at the former Bohack’s site. Funding to build the center will come from both the county and the state.
On the issue of affordable housing, Schaffer said the town requires 20% of all units to be affordable housing — twice what the state requires. He announced that Heatherwood will build a 450 rental units at the former Fairchild Building in East Farmingdale, which will comprise of 25% affordable housing.
Other projects included the upgrades at Pink Park in West Babylon to turf and installing a turf field at a soccer facility at Van Bourgondien Park in West Babylon. The field is being renamed after former Suffolk County Presiding Officer Kevin McCaffrey, who helped secure the money for the upgrades while he was in the Legislature.
In addition, the town also has new pickleball courts in Deer Park and North Lindenhurst and is making improvements at the botanical garden at Geiger Lake Memorial Park in Deer Park. “It’s unbelievable,” he said of the garden. “People are having their weddings there.” Future plans include adding a greenhouse so that the town can grow its own flowers for its hanging baskets and planters in the downtown areas. There will also be a sand replenishment program at Overlook and Cedar Beaches. “It’s not only important from a recreational standpoint, but from an environmental and public safety standpoint,” Schaffer said.
Technology has played a key role in town government, Schaffer said. With emails and social media posts, “you are able to get a lot of problems solved quicker and you’re able to debunk a lot of crazy things out there, particularly on social media.”
He also said that the town is using social media to connect with the younger generation of residents. “We want to make sure that we’re talking to everyone and get everybody’s feedback on a lot of things.”
The supervisor also noted that the town is working to upgrade its IT infrastructure. “We’ve had major issues with cybersecurity,” he said. “So we’re investing in a lot of money that is going to go into [cybersecurity].”
When asked about artificial intelligence (AI), Schaffer said the employees and unions in the town expressed concern that AI would replace their jobs. “I don’t see that happening,” he said. “But I think there will be roles for [AI]. We have to counteract the negative roles people want to use it for.”
Another topic was sewers. Schaffer said that, thanks to the one-eighth-cent tax, the money raised from that tax will go towards sewers in Deer Park, parts of Wyandanch and Wheatley Heights. “That’s going to be a game-changer, both on the residential side as well as on the commercial side,” he said. “It’s going to finish off sewering for the rest of the town.”
Schaffer was also asked about the town’s water quality. Schaffer said he is working with Save the Great South Bay for oyster and clam seedings, as well as grass planting on the south shore. The town is currently purchasing oysters through a hatchery in East Islip.
The town is also in the middle of its stream cleanup program, using litter traps to clean out plastics and other debris before they enter the bay. The traps were purchased using federal ARCA money.
Shaffer, who chairs the Suffolk County Supervisors Association, says all the town leaders are working better together — a lot different than what it was 30 years ago. “Back then, it was very political,” he said. “Everybody wanted to rumble. “Now, we come from different backgrounds and different parties, but we are now more in tune in wanting to get things done. … We’ve worked together to lobby the state and Congress to get more funding for our projects.”