You’ve probably heard about the proposed 288-unit Country Pointe development on Indian Head Road, maybe even caught a Facebook post about it.

What you might not know is that the Town recently released a 200+ page document called the Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS). It’s the last major step before the project gets the green light. I read the entire thing, analyzed it, and submitted a detailed formal public comment by the July 25 deadline, and I want to share why it matters to every single one of us.

Why I submitted a public comment

As a school board member and candidate for County Legislator, I felt it was important to speak up. This project doesn’t just affect traffic or building design. It affects drinking water, taxes, school enrollment, public safety, and the overall character of our community. It also sets the tone for how development is handled in our town for years to come.

Unfortunately, I found several key issues in the developer’s response that were either incomplete, misleading, or flat-out wrong. These weren’t small technical disagreements; they were big-picture concerns about how we plan responsibly and protect our community’s future.

Here’s what stood out

1. Soil and Environmental Risks: What’s Buried Here?

The Concern: This is a former industrial site, but only two soil borings (soil tests) were done over the entire 71 acres, despite the Town Code requiring more. This means we don’t truly know if contaminants are present or if the soil can safely support development. The developer promises more testing after approvals, which is backwards.

Why It’s Still a Problem: Approving this project without comprehensive subsurface testing and a clear Fill Management Plan is a huge risk. We need to know what’s in the ground before construction, not after. Without transparency on how contaminated materials will be handled and removed, our health and environment are at risk.

2. Traffic and Public Safety: More Cars, More Crashes?

The Concern: The intersection of Indian Head Road and Old Northport Road already fails, and the FEIS proposes only signal timing adjustments. Our Town Engineer recommended physical fixes like a left-turn arrow or road widening, but these were rejected due to cost. This intersection is already dangerous, with crashes and injuries.

Why It’s Still a Problem: Signal tweaks are a band-aid. Adding 288 homes, plus traffic from new developments like Cornerstone, Starbucks, and Destination Kings Park, will overwhelm this intersection. Ignoring expert advice for cheaper solutions puts our families at risk of increased congestion and accidents. Protected left turns are standard safety measures, and dismissing them is unacceptable.

3. Road Safety: Ignoring Our Town Code

The Concern: Old Indian Head Road has an 11% slope near the proposed entrance, far exceeding the 3% maximum allowed by Town Code. The developer dismissed fixing this due to cost, claiming “no safety benefit.”

Why It’s Still a Problem: Town safety codes are not optional. An 11% grade significantly increases stopping distances, especially for school buses and emergency vehicles. Allowing developers to ignore safety standards based on cost undermines the integrity of our codes and puts everyone at risk. Public safety should never be compromised for profit.

4. Misleading Environmental Claims: Forest for Basins?

The Concern: The FEIS claims that clearing over 44 acres of mature forest to replace it with stormwater basins and scattered meadows will “improve habitat diversity.”

Why It’s Still a Problem: This is misleading. Destroying a complex, mature forest ecosystem for artificial features is habitat destruction, not improvement. Forest interior wildlife will be lost. This also means losing natural air purification, soil stabilization, carbon storage, and stormwater management. We need real solutions that preserve our existing forests, not just replace them with less effective, engineered features.

5. Water Quality: False Sense of Security

The Concern: The FEIS used unrealistic comparisons for nitrogen calculations, making the project’s environmental benefits seem larger than they are. While new numbers were provided for the sewage plant, the initial misleading comparison was not fully corrected.

Why It’s Still a Problem: Inaccurate nitrogen figures give us a false sense of security about our water quality. Higher actual nitrogen pollution could lead to harmful algae blooms and drinking water contamination. We need honest, realistic data to protect our precious water resources.

6. School Impacts: Underestimated and Unfunded

The Concern: The developer claims only 41 new students from 288 units, while the Kings Park School District projects 108. The developer’s numbers rely on outdated data.

Why It’s Still a Problem: Underestimating student enrollment means our schools won’t be prepared for the influx, leading to overcrowding and strained resources. The developer also claims nearly $2 million in new school taxes, but under NY’s tax cap law, the district can’t automatically use this for new students. This means the cost of educating new students won’t be offset, potentially leading to increased taxes or reduced educational quality for all.

Why this matters to all of us

This isn’t about being anti-development. I support thoughtful growth. But we shouldn’t have to choose between development and the health, safety, and financial stability of our community. Developers should be required to tell the full truth and address real concerns, not just present best-case scenarios that help them get approvals.

If we don’t challenge this now, we risk setting a precedent where the public process is just a box to check and where residents are left footing the bill for poor planning.

What comes next

I submitted my public comment because I believe the community deserves full transparency and a voice in these decisions. Whether or not this particular project moves forward, the questions we raise now will shape what gets built here and how it gets built for years to come.

If I’m elected this November, I’ll fight to make sure our communities aren’t an afterthought. We need responsible planning, honest numbers, and real oversight. That’s how we protect what makes places like Kings Park worth fighting for.