Residents in Glendale and Yaphank are concerned that the extra land acquired by the Brookhaven Rail Terminal could lead to more trains going through their neighborhoods. File photo.
An approval to sell extra acres of land out in Suffolk County could have a ripple effect for residents of a few neighborhoods in Queens.
The Brookhaven Rail Terminal, which is located in Yaphank, Long Island, has acquired 232 extra acres of land after the Suffolk County Legislature voted last Thursday 16 to 2 to sell the land to the terminal for $20 million.
Trains that travel on this rail are mostly from Long Island but do include those using the Fresh Pond Terminal in Glendale.
Residents in Queens are concerned about the environmental impact that the sale of the extra land would have at the Glendale terminal.
Mary Parisen, chairwoman of Civics United for Railroad Environmental Solutions (CURES), an alliance of 14 different civic associations in Queens formed in 2009, said that construction debris from the trains that pass through Fresh Pond Terminal tend to fall out of those locomotives, which damages the quality of life in the area. She also said that the garbage mixed with that debris, emits a foul smell that stinks throughout the neighborhood.
Should the number of trains that run through that terminal increase, it will make traffic worse for the Queens terminal.
“We’re already a bottleneck,” Parisen said.
Local legislators, Assemblyman Mike Miller and State Senator Joe Addabbo, wrote letters to the Suffolk County Legislature expressing their concern for the pollution and noise the trains cause and Community Board 5 asked for a postponement for last week’s vote, but were rejected.
One civic association in Suffolk County is also unhappy with the extra land the rail terminal is getting.
James Garcia, president of the South Yaphank Civic Association, said that they’ve similar concerns about their area in regards to the pollution and the amount of trucks coming into the neighborhood. He also worries the local community won’t have a say in what will be built in the new land Brookhaven acquired.
“I don’t mind growth,” he said. “I just want to be able to have some type of jurisdiction over here.”
Judy White, a spokesperson for the Brookhaven Rail Terminal, said that it is not yet known what will be built around the new land, only saying that it will be an extension of the terminal.
“This is a purchase of opportunity for us,” she said.
White also said that she has heard the environmental concerns that Parisen has expressed, and they are not worried about any environmental problems occurring because their trains do not stop at Fresh Pond Terminal and pick up new locomotive cars.
According to White, Brookhaven Rail have agreed with the legislators that cover that area to set up a local community council, which will allow residents to express any concerns they have about the future of the acres of land they required.
As for Parisen, she said that CURES will appeal to all levels of government, asking for legislation for proper containment of the construction debris and municipal waste so that it will no longer damage the environment, and that the rail expansion must also benefit the community.
CURES will be holding an informational meeting about their organization regarding the Brookhaven Rail line issue on Thursday, September 27 at 7 p.m. at Pfeifer Hall in Saint Pancras Church at 72-22 68th Street in Glendale.
By Luis Gronda
