For over eight years, Rechler Equity Partners has attempted to rezone the Island Hills Golf Course from its existing AAA single-family residential zoning to a Planned Development District (PDD) — a zoning tool designed for dense, urban-style development that is completely out of character with our suburban community.

In 2017, Rechler proposed a sprawling development called Sayville Greybarn, which included 1,365 apartments, 27 buildings (19 of them 3–4 stories tall), accessory retail uses, and a sewage treatment plant. That plan was rightfully denied in 2021 due to severe and unmitigable impacts on traffic, the environment, and the fabric of our neighborhoods.

Now in 2023, Rechler is back with a rebranded proposal under the name South Bay Village — a new application that still demands a zone change and is currently under review by the Town of Islip. If approved, it would permanently alter the identity, safety, and livability of Sayville and its neighboring communities.

Here’s what the current proposal includes:

• 890 residential units: 576 rental apartments and 314 for-sale units. Rechler claims a 35% reduction in unit count, but this still represents an unprecedented 908% density increase in a neighborhood zoned single family residential.
• Of the 890 units, 173 rental units (30%) and all 314 for-sale units (100%) are proposed as age-restricted, meaning only 55% of the total units would be limited — leaving nearly half available to any tenant, further intensifying potential impacts.
• The project proposes 1,738 sleeping areas (beds/rooms), far beyond what the infrastructure was designed to handle.
• Only 1,900 parking spaces are proposed, but just 1,412 of those meet code requirements, falling short of the 1,701 spaces required by town code. This guarantees overflow parking, neighborhood congestion, and safety risks.
• Setbacks as small as 25 feet from existing single-family properties, a dramatic departure from AAA zoning standards.
• Land nearly covered by development: 985,230 square feet of roof coverage, and an additional 1,063,300 square feet of pavement from roads and parking lots — leaving minimal open space and creating major stormwater concerns.
• The removal of 151 mature trees and disruption of over 250,000 square feet of contaminated soil, which could impact environmental health and water quality.
• Traffic volumes projected to increase by more than 350%, overwhelming local roads and intersections that were never built for this kind of urban-style density

From the moment this project was first introduced, our community has been united in opposition. We’ve built a Facebook group with over 2,500 members, launched the Greater Islip Association Inc., a registered 501(c)(4) civic organization, and conducted a resident survey of over 2,000 participants, with overwhelming opposition to any zoning change. We've raised funds for independent environmental and traffic consultants, and the issue has gained widespread attention in the media, at civic meetings, and in political debates.

We, the residents of Sayville, West Sayville, Bayport, Oakdale, Bohemia, and the greater Islip area, say this again and again: We will not accept a zone change. We will not allow this development to destroy our suburban character, endanger our roads, flood our neighborhoods, and wipe out the zoning protections that have guided our community for generations.

To our elected officials and to Rechler Equity Partners: this petition is a clear, collective message from your constituents — preserve the existing AAA zoning as recommended in the 2009 Sunrise Highway Corridor Study, which concluded: “Retain existing Residence AAA zoning.”

We, the undersigned, will accept nothing less.

 
📢 If you're signing this petition, please take a moment to share why you oppose the South Bay Village proposal. Your words matter and will be used as evidence of the overwhelming public objection to this zoning change. Every voice counts.

For more information about our opposition visit these links below!

Website: Stop Island Hills Website 

Facebook Group: Stop Island Hills Golf Course Development Plan

Newsletter Signup: Stop Island Hills Newsletter

Thank you for your support!