The former Jurgielewicz Duck Farm in Moriches, N.Y., which has recently been used for illegal dumping, could become the site of a new self-storage facility if the current land owner cleans it up. Brookhaven Town officials approved a zoning change in January for the 9-acre property on Barnes Road, south of Sunrise Highway. The proposal includes the construction of seven storage structures as well as a 20,400-square-foot outdoor area for vehicle storage, according to the source.

The approval was granted to Kenneth J. Cartalemi, 70, who died in March. Prior to his death, Cartalemi had been cited by town official for several zoning and code violations, including storing heavy equipment on the property. The charges are pending in Suffolk County Sixth District Court, the source reported.

Cartalemi’s son, also named Kenneth, is hoping to continue his father’s plans for the property, but the town is threatening to withdraw the zoning change pending several stipulations, including site clean-up. In addition to debris, the land contains nitrogen deposits from decades of duck effluent, according to councilmember Dan Panico, who added that the council would prefer a storage facility on the site over houses or condominiums.

“We wanted to not only clean up the site but put forward a use that is rather innocuous, create a tax base for all taxing jurisdictions and [have] something that would fit in with the area,” Panico said. “We are still going to pursue any violations on the property until the property is cleared.”

To keep the zoning in place, the developer must remove the metal and tin shacks from the site, plant evergreen trees, build a berm along Barnes Road, and pay a $477,750 “mitigation fee” for the purchase of other properties for open-space preservation.

An agreement by the elder Cartalemi to set aside a 3-acre section along Swift Stream, which feeds into Forge River, will remain in place. The town plans to preserve the area as open space and protect the river from runoff, the source reported.

Beth Wahl, president of the Chamber of Commerce of the Mastics & Shirley, supports the project, noting a storage facility would be a better use for the property than the duck farm. “Anything is better than what was there before. I can’t imagine it’s going to create any issues there at all,” she said.

Another community member expressed concern about harm to the waterways. “It’s very hard for me to believe they want to do anything to help the Forge River,” said MaryAnn Johnston, president of the Affiliated Brookhaven Civic Organization Inc., an umbrella group of civic associations. “What you pave over doesn’t go away. You have to clean it up to make it go away.”

Source:
Newsday, Brookhaven to Developer: Clean Up Old Duck Farm Before Building