How will this affect home prices...or will it???

March 10, 2006

Newsday

The Town of Babylon zoning board last night held its final hearing on the
proposed 81-acre Tanger Outlet mall in Deer Park, a project that has created
considerable controversy among residents who fear it will greatly increase
traffic in the area.

Some carrying large placards that read "approve Tanger," more than 100
residents, civic leaders and union members attended. Most of them are in favor
of several proposed development projects in and around the Commack Road corridor
- including the Tanger Outlet on Deer Park Avenue and Grand Boulevard, a
Wal-Mart on Crooked Hill Road, and the Long Island Truck and Rail Intermodal
Facility on the former site of Pilgrim State Hospital.

Union members and others were strongly supporting the creation of 3,000 retail
and construction jobs that would result from the developments.

"Why not put the money back into our community?" said Tracy Robinson, 43, a
teacher from Deer Park who shops at the Tanger Outlet in Riverhead.

Some residents voiced concerns about the proposals, which would hit residents of
Dix Hills and Deer Park hardest because of increased traffic along Commack Road
and the mostly one-lane roads in the area.

Suffolk County Legis. Steve Stern (D-Huntington), who opposes the Tanger Mall,
addressed residents' quality-of-life concerns.

"With so much in planning stages in this area, I think it's imperative that all
levels of government develop a regional approach," Stern said before the
hearing. "There are traffic concerns. These are not small projects."

The proposed Tanger Outlet, which would be known as The Arches, was approved by
the town planning board on Monday and would be built near an existing Kohl's,
Super Stop & Shop and Home Depot that already generate heavy traffic.

Syosset-based Blumenfeld Development Group presented plans for the mall,
expected to cost roughly $200 million and include about 180 retail stores and a
multiplex movie theater. Initial plans to build a BJ's Wholesale Club were
scrapped.

Re: How will this affect home prices...or will it???

I'll tell you one thing... those roads by the Tanger in Riverhead are always packed. Slow slow driving. I am sure this one would be much worse because its closer to the city and more accessible.

Re: How will this affect home prices...or will it???

For those people whose homes are on or right off of Comack Rd. I think the increase in traffic will make those homes decrease in value; however, for those homes 5-10 minutes away they would increase in value for the fact that they would be close to good shopping.