Syosset Warehouse Meeting Notes
Birchwood Civic Association Board Video Meeting
Thursday, December 3, 2020
Subject: Proposed Amazon.com Sorting Center in Syosset
Guest Speakers:
Dan Deegan – Forchelli Deegan Terrana LLP (attorney for the applicants)
Jeff Fortelli – Forchelli Deegan Terrana LLP (attorney for the applicants)
Brad Griggs – Amazon
Andrew Nee – Vanasse Hangen Brustlin, Inc., project manager
Andrew Sargeant – Simon Properties
1) The Project
The current application is from Amazon.com for a warehouse / sorting center on 39.5 acres on the former Cerro Wire property on Robbins Lane in Syosset. The property is bounded by the LIE west service road (Miller Place), Robbins Lane, and the LIRR tracks.
There is residual contamination from Cerro. Tons of materials have been hauled off already. The contaminants are in the soil and water. The applicants tested the soil and water.
In the applicants’ November 19, 2020 plan, there are 3 options:
- Option 1 – Remove every miniscule piece of contamination. Is it feasible? If every miniscule is removed, there could be unrestricted land use. But the developer needs to haul it off. It might take 4.5 years. Dump trucks might constantly go in and out. Estimated 50,000 truckloads.
- Option 2 – The applicants propose this option. This can be completed in one year. Use the site as a cover. The developer is not removing or disturbing anything. The developer is putting things on top of it.
- Option 3 – Leave property as is.
Two documents are available:
- The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYS DEC) prepared a 4-page fact sheet. They are accepting written comments through January 11, 2021 about the proposed plan to clean up contamination on the site:
- Roux Environmental Engineering and Geology prepared a 550-page report, “Alternative Analysis Report/Remedial Action Work Plan,” that is on file with NYS DEC:
2) Building
This would be a one-story building. The roof would be 39 feet tall. With a parapet, it would be 45 feet tall. There would be a conveyor belt system inside, with a break room but no cafeteria with food preparation offered. There would be vending machines for the employees.
There are 4 loading zones on each side of building. 20 vans per loading sector.
There are 16 loading docks in the building.
3) Employees
Full time, part time, and seasonal workers would be arriving at the same time. Industry high wages.
There would be 2 major shifts. 230 employees arrive at 1 AM, work and then leave at noon. Another 230 employees arrive at 5 PM or 6 PM, work, then leave at 1 AM. Employees have to enter the facility and exit from the facility via the LIE westbound service road. There are no entrances for employee personal cars on Robbins Lane.
4) Inbound Tractor-Trailers and Outbound Local Delivery Vans
There would be 49 tractor trailers per day. Most would arrive at about 6 PM and continue to come in throughout the night. 90% of tractor trailers would come in overnight. They would be unloaded by staff at the facility.
By 10 AM, the LIE’s service road is clear of rush hour traffic.
They anticipate 608 local delivery vans would leave the property from around 10 AM to noon. They anticipate less than 10% of the local delivery vans would turn right onto Robbins Lane.
Deliveries to homes end at around 9 PM.
The local delivery vans would return to this facility in a staggered fashion between around 7 PM to 9 PM.
Peak season operations would bring more activity.
5) Traffic Flow
The developers want to keep traffic off Robbins Lane. Most traffic would enter from and exit to the westbound traffic road of LIE.
The tractor-trailers are coming from the west on the Long Island Expressway (LIE). Amazon.com’s nearest fulfillment center is on Staten Island. Trucks would take LIE exit 43 east, turn left to South Oyster Bay Road, turn left to LIE westbound service road and turn right into this facility.
From Robbins Lane, there would be only one entrance into the facility: from Robbins Lane north. Drivers cannot make a left from Robbins Lane south into the Amazon.com facility.
From the facility, there is only one exit from Robbins Lane. The curvature of ramp only right turns from Robbins Lane north.
The developer wants to make sure we are the best corporate citizens. The developer worked with the architects to mitigate the impact on the community.
6) Property Taxes
This property has been vacant for many years, so no taxes were collected. This is an expensive project. The environmental cleanup costs would be incurred by the landlord and Amazon.com together. The developer wants to phase in the taxes over 15 years to make project financially feasible for Amazon.com. Prior plans were a burden for the Syosset School District. PILOT (payment in lieu of taxes) is a positive economic arrangement. The benefit for nearby residents is quicker deliveries of your parcels.