Sayville, N.Y.: A Walkable Downtown and Victorians by the Bay

i love Sayville as I pass thru on the way to the ferry - I've always dreamed of living there - great article and pictures -

The commentors here need to relax. This article was written in the real estate section, and is intended to showcase the different housing and pricing options in Sayville--of COURSE they're going to focus on the proposed Island Hills development! Also, I really doubt that its redevelopment into rentals will do too much to change the character of the town. Island Hills is on the far north end of town, right next to a major highway, and far away from the bay and main street--the two amenities that everyone in Sayville loves. I don't even think the area is zoned for Sayville schools.

We do not support the zone change for the Rechler project for multiple safety reasons, lack of water , sewage , roads are too narrow and crowded. The area cannot handle the extra traffic. The apartments would be too expensive for LI workers and the commute to the city on LIRR is a nightmare. This will negatively impact our quality of life. Zone is currently for 84 houses .

When describing the proposed Rechler owned Greybarn development, this article fails to consider the plethora of negative impacts on Sayville and all of the adjoining communities. This type proposal does not fit the character of Sayville. The size and scope will create immeasurable stresses on the local infrastructure, school district, community spaces, etc. We are talking about 1500 units, 2500 parking spots and 8 buildings...some as large as 4 stories. Using a conservative estimate, perhaps 4000 or more new residents will suddenly reside smack dab in the middle of a bucolic residential community!! What is the traffic prosal? What is the sewage proposal? Can Sunrise and Montauk Hwy corridor hand an additional 2500 cars during rush hour? If you live or pass through the area the ovcious answer in No! If the Greybarn proposal goes through, the entire community will be irrevocably changed for the worst.

This article is not entirely true. While Sayville is a great town, most residents of Sayville and surrounding towns are highly against the greybarn project. None of the residents here are interested in the rechlers plan to build towering structures full of rental property in the middle of this quiet neighborhood. We are currently trying to fight this project tooth and nail to keep it a golf course. This town does not need any more rental property, overwhelming our school districts, dragging down property values, creating NYC borough style overcrowding with traffic and countless other environmental and infrastructure damages. The crooked Town of Islip politicians supported by the rechlers financial backing would have outsiders believe this article fully. We residents are not interested in turning this quiet area into a sixth borough.don't believe everything you read. This is obviously a tilted article and the author does not represent the true feelings of the Sayville and surrounding area residents.

I would say most of this article is true in capturing the essence of our beautiful town that so many of us love and proudly call home. What couldn't be further from the truth is The Vibe section where it speaks of the Island Hills project as something that this community wants or needs. We don't need this small city of 27 buildings that will be 3 to 4 stories high with almost 1,400 apartments dropped in the middle of our one- and two-story single-family homes. We don't need an additional 2,600 cars in our neighborhood causing even more traffic than what we deal with on a daily basis. For Rechler to portray this project as being designed to "benefit the people who already live in the community" is quite the misconception! The only ones benefitting from this project will be the Rechlers. It's amazing how the TOI says that this is just a "proposal" right now, yet articles like yours are being written describing how it will be when it's finished. What should be there when it's finished is what it's currently zoned for... single-family homes or single-family homes with some green space, as is the rest of our neighborhood. The Rechlers bought this property knowing it was zoned this way. Sayville is a beautiful, quaint little town with a wonderful community of people who will fight to keep our town to remain true to its character. We are many voices all coming together as one community with the same goal...to STOP THE ZONING CHANGE that Rechler is requesting.

Usually when I read comments such as these following the NYT story, I think to myself, "these comment sections just open the door for complainers," and move on. However, my husband and I lived in Sayville for almost 30 years and raised our children there. Everything in the article is true, and the people who are commenting must be listened to. The Town of Islip (TOI) has run roughshod over Sayville for years, in part because of the hamlet's refusal/reluctance to incorporate, a move which, while it would raise taxes, would also grant autonomy and allow the residents to turn down such rapacious development proposals. Sayville is a beautiful, friendly, and safe community with many amenities. And it has reached a "balanced saturation point" of development. The housing market there is tight because the town is full. The traffic on Main Street, Lakeland Avenue, Foster Avenue, Broadway and Sunrise Highway has exceeded capacity. Parking is always at a premium in town and at the train station. These are signs that Sayville cannot bear additional development. Let the golf course be an open green space; there are not nearly enough green spaces on Long Island. "Pocket parks" along a two mile trail surrounding this proposed housing disaster are inadequate. Overdevelopment is the single biggest threat to Sayville (as well as many other small towns/hamlets across the Island). I hope the residents prevail; they will be heroes if they do. Keep fighting the fight!

This is the most over-romanticised depiction of a Long Island town I've ever read. It feels like a piece of propaganda put out by the people in charge, and Marcelle Sussman Fischler certainly received a nice paycheck for her writing and photos. Hopefully, NYC readers feel the same way. Anyone reading this can clearly see the biasing towards Sayville's proposed Reicher buildings, including the city commute. I commute into the city (SoHo Manhattan) from Sayville every day and hate every day of it. It's not 90 minutes (lol!), it's well over 4 hours a day, for five days of the week. Sure, I get to go home to Sayville, but I don't wish this commute on anyone. In fact, I'm moving out of my parents as soon as I can afford to live ANYWHERE CLOSER to the city. Also, the Sayville School system is NOT AVAILABLE to those who move into the new graybarn-style buildings. They're zoned for the CONNETQUOT school district, which encompasses 3 towns and not just Sayville. Just a little detail the author and Reicher missed on purpose.

This monstrosity of 1400 multifamily apartments is not wanted, nor needed in our town. Residents are "abuzz"...by banding together to fight the zoning change. How Rechler wants community input is false. They don't want our input because we don't support the zoning change. They had a total of 3 meeting with about 10 people invited before they shut it all down and referred us to their FAQ's page. They wanted us to drink the kohl-aid and when we didnt, they no longer wanted to hear us or our concerns. The traffic alone on Lakeland Ave and the surrounding side streets is bad enough, we don't need any further traffic or people racing down our roads. The golf course is over 100 years old, designed by Tillinghast. Why not preserve? According to the Sunrise Hwy Corridor report it should remain an Oasis. Suffolk County in their land acquisition reports say that these private courses should have the opportunity to stay green. It takes much less money to take an existing place like Island Hills and let it remain green space rather than a vacant lot. We are community and together we are fighting to keep Sayville the quaint little Norman Rockwell town that it is. Maybe next time The NY Times can speak to residents instead of builders to get a true story. We are the ones invested in our town and always will be.

The only "buzz" that I am hearing about the Graybarn plan is that which was stirred up in the hornets nest of Sayville residents who are adamantly against it. Rechler initially told the town that their plan was to build nice single family homes on the property. I believe that most of us would like to see it survive as a Tillinghast golf course, but if that's not possible then nice homes is a bearable option. Once the sale was approved they immediately changed their story and submitted the request to have it re-zoned to accommodate more than 1,300 apartments!! Surely this tactic is a part of their standard play book. They hoped that we wouldn't notice as they would probably triple or quadruple their potential ROI. This is purely a profit based decision, and if the TOI board approves it could very well be a (personal) profit based decision on their part as well.

Interesting article but I would like to clear up fact from fiction. Yes Sayville is beautiful and it is a quaint town however that could all change if Rechler builds 1365 apartments. Rechler met with the community 3 times and hand picked those community members to attend. From what I gather as I only attended the last meeting, was that everyone was unanimously opposed to building apartments that would be surrounding single family homes. We as a community are not in a buzz over this. Call the Islip Town Hall and see how many letters were sent in by community members. We currently have well over a thousand signatures electronically and paper that all have signed opposing this development. Currently there is a movement and other surrounding areas have joined in on this fight. While Rechler is trying to sell their interpretation of bells and whistles and how this will be a great thing for Sayville our community does not agree. The NY times should be focusing on the over development of Long Island and how our environment will be greatly impacted by this fast moving trend. Town Boards are continually voting on approving these enormous projects and if this continues to happen Long Island will no longer be the recreational space that city residents like to visit. Eventually there will be no green space and as of now tides are brown. So i encourage you to reach out to those that oppose this project and not publish a one sided story.

I think this article definitely paints a nice picture of our town. However if this plan goes through to build 3-4 story apartment buildings i guarantee this town will not be so qauint and nice. Houses sell quicker and there isnt alot of inventory is a good thing for us. And these plans will bring our neighborhood down and certainly the value of our homes. I believe most of the people in this town would agree that these plans are not welcomed.

The article does reflect the current character of the neighborhood. However, developers and town officials have made a concerted effort to destroy what has taken hundreds of years to establish. The quaint and picturesque neighborhood is about to be transformed into a cookie-cutter neighborhood. The motivations and priorities of real estate developers and local politicians have encroached on the will of the people. There are far too many towns and hamlets that have lost their identity to developers. The proposed building of 1300 multi-story apartments will destroy what generations of residents worked to create. A neighborhood community that is connected and acclaimed for its charm and character. Big Real Estate like Rechler will change the content of this article into more of a eulogy.

A very nice article about the town I have called home for the past 6 years...that is, until The Vibe section. That buzz you hear regarding the Rechler's plans is the sound of Sayville residents who want nothing to do with this. I live right down the street to the proposed site and all I see is lawn signs saying opposing the plan. The fact is I am yet to encounter a single person who is in favor of this. While the picture painted of our town is accurate, if this plan goes forward Sayville will no longer be the "Norman Rockwell neighborhood" that we love so much.

I have been a resident of Sayville for close to 40 years. While you paint a lovely picture of the town I am happy to call home, the picture is incomplete. What is missing is a portrait of what the town supervisor calls “a pride among the residents” who have “a real sense of community.” The proposed development) by Rechler Equities has mobilized that sense of pride and community. We are proud that Sayville is home to a golf course designed by A. W. Tillinghast, which the developers want to destroy to build over 1,300 apartments. While the developer states that the complex is being designed to benefit the people who live in the community, that, in fact, is not the case. s We are opposed to the construction of 27 buildings, some the size of a football field with the height of 3 or 4 stories. This development will not occur on a main road but in the middle of a neighborhood comprised of one or two-story mid-century homes. Some of us will be looking out of our backyards at these massive buildings. As a result, a grassroots effort by community members is occurring to retain the present zoning of the property. Over 1,500 residents of Sayville are fighting to retain the present zoning which allows for green space or the construction of homes. We would like to keep Sayville the Rockwell-esque town you describe in your article. The real story may be about the people fighting to keep big developers out of our town.

If there's no tax ... how do things like roads, schools, etc. get funded?

Interesting how the way “Locals buzz about plans for the former Island Hills Golf Club” is stated in a manor to come off as positive. Reality the buzz about Rechler Equity Partners is extremely negative within the town. Folks are very opposed to there plans to the re-zoning efforts to build massive apartment complexes in our small village and subsequent negative impacts on traffic, schools, and the very essence of our home.

Shouldn't this be labeled as a Paid Post for Rechler? There is no buzz about the Rechler development, everyone in town is against it. As for Carpenter, when was the last time our "supervisor" stepped foot in Sayville? I'm yet to see the TOI do anything positive for the people of Sayville.

To say the town is abuzz about the planned development for Island Hills is an understatement. Up in arms would be a more apt description. What the developer proposes is the largest complex of apartments in the Town of Islip. In fact the plan calls for more apartments than now exist in Sayville and the neighboring town of Bohemia combined. This will definitely make traffic worse (even the developer estimates 2,500 additional cars), especially given that the complex would not be within walking distance of the LIRR or downtown. There is a lot of "smart" development happening on Long Island--apartments close to public transportation and downtowns--that is aimed at young people who commute into the city for work and entertainment. The proposed plan for Island Hills is just the opposite: dumb.

After reading both the Times article and the comments, it thought occured to me that, yes, perhaps event the venerable NYTimes does indulge in fake news. Perhaps a more realistic picture would be a service to the readers and the newspaper.

If you work in Manhattan, you don't want to live in Sayville. The commute on the LIRR is at least 90 minutes, and that's if there arent any delays. You are spending 3 hours a day just commuting. 8-9 hours at work, 3 hours commuting. Sorry, anywhere near a being a good work/life balance.

This is a lovely article about a town that I have called home for many years. However, the discussion regarding the proposed development of the Island Hills Golf Club property widely missed the mark. Yes, the locals are “buzzing” about the proposed construction of 1365(!) apartments in our lovely little town, but the “buzz” is not with anticipation, as the article suggests. Rather, the residents of our admittedly lovely town are buzzing with incredulity that anyone could consider the proposal to be a positive thing for Sayville. Ask anyone and they will tell you that traffic, especially on north-south roads like Lakeland Avenue, is already reaching the breaking point. In addition, there are almost no buildings of the size proposed in Sayville — they will be completely out of character with the other homes and buildings in Sayville. In addition, the notion the millennials are looking for $2500 per month rental apartments is unsupported by any data I have seen. The truth is, this green space should be preserved, or the owner should be limited to the zoning in place when they purchased the property, which would permit 84 single family homes. The dangers of overdevelopment are already evident with the frequent brown tides in the Great South Bay. The proposed development would only worsen the problem. It’s a bad idea.

I've lived in Sayville for 20 years. I purchased my first and only home in Sayville. My boys are being raised in Sayville and I work here. This article is right on the money except for one piece of it. The plans for Island Hills Golf Club has surely created a buzz in the community but not a good one. The Rechler brothers have only reached out to the community a few times and stopped them when they vision was not well received to say the least. These 3 and 4 story buildings will over shadow my 2 story house across the street. They will end up being the tallest buildings in the whole community and be an eyesore who have built this community. This one project will destroy all the other good elements of this community this article shared. I only hope the town officials will see that this change of zoning shouldn't happen.

I used to go to Fire Island in the 60's and would start take the ferry in April, We used to shop in Sayville as the Pines store were not open yet. I remember asking for sour cream and being told store does not get those fancy foods till the season started late in May How Sayville has changed

I've been told by people who live on Long Island that it's a great place if you don't have to work and have lots of money. Otherwise, if you have to leave your home, it's endless traffic jams, endless school districts, and endless taxes. Norman Rockwell? I don't think so.