Responding to community concerns, Brookhaven officials have called for a more in-depth environmental evaluation of the cemetery proposed for the old Spadaro Airport property in East Moriches. A traffic study has also been requested of the applicants, Long Island Community Cemetery, for the area surrounding the 29-acre parcel bordered by Montauk Highway and County Road 58.
An April 10 hearing on the plan to create up to 15,000 graves has been postponed, and a new date has yet to be announced. “The town has decided that a more in-depth environmental evaluation must be conducted prior to proceeding,” said Councilwoman Karen Dunne-Kesnig, who represents the area on the town board.
According to a principal of the non-profit, Ghulam Sarwar, the facility will maintain a low profile with gravesites not marked by upright monuments or mausoleums. “We will remove all of the dilapidated buildings and landscape the property. It will be beautiful,” Sarwar said.
Operated by Bart Spadaro for decades, the one-lane airstrip was taken over by his daughter, Susan, after he died in 2013. She gradually phased out aviation services before selling the property to the community cemetery group.
“Spadaro airport is, in fact, in need of a revitalization. Its potential for tax-generating and community-building projects is immense,” said a resident who started a Change.org petition against the proposal. “Imagine my shock when I heard of the plan to convert it into a cemetery, stripping the town of any benefits it could reap from this valuable property.”
According to the petition, which has nearly 700 signatures, “Research shows that strategically planned open spaces can have several benefits for a community, such as improving the mental and physical health of its residents and even boosting the local economy (American Planning Association, 2017). Converting Spadaro airport into a cemetery would deny our community of these benefits.”
“The proposed cemetery would be serving the needs of non-community members from the entire NY Metro area, as the proponents argue that there is no other cemetery in the entire region,” noted a petition signer. “So local residents would bear the burden of traffic, potential environmental impact (Little Seatuck Creek is nearby, not to mention potential groundwater impact), and probable litter from the influx of visitors. There is no benefit to the community, and the quality of life in the locality would plummet, making this neighborhood and surrounding communities just another wasteland thanks to abysmal planning and lack of responsible stewardship for future generations. The site should be acquired by Brookhaven or Suffolk County for preservation.”
Another asked: “In East Moriches, we do not have a Muslim population; therefore, why would we have a Muslim cemetery? This does not add value to the community.”
“Residents used to planes flying overhead will have a more quiet neighbor,” said Waheed Siddiqui, a project supporter.