By DEBBIE ROSEN
"We are looking to improve the property by cleaning it up and developing the land into condominiums," said Michael Posillico, a partner in the Blue Island Development Corporation, which last month purchased for $2.3 million the 11 acres once owned by Cibro South Shore Oil Terminal. "We intend to clean the land up properly, taking no shortcuts and keeping the lines of communication open between ourselves and the people of Harbor Isle, who deserve to know all the facts."
Mr. Posillico has met twice with members of the Harbor Island Steering Committee so that residents could air concerns, which include the methods of sampling, clean-up and future building that may add to traffic on the roadways. According to Diana Caracciolo, a leader of the steering committee, people in the community approve of the manner in which Mr. Posillico is proceeding.
"The land has been unclean for the past 12 years," said Ms. Caracciolo. "We have met with Mr. Posillico and heard his plan for clean-up and building and told him of our concerns. He will not present his plans to the town until he has met with the community again, and this is surely a good thing."
Clean-up of the land can be conducted in two ways, depending on the concentration of the contamination. The most contaminated materials will be removed from the site and treated elsewhere. Mr. Posillico's 50-year family-owned company JD Posillico, in Farmingdale, owns a DEC-approved permit to recycle such material into asphalt. Less severely contaminated material can be treated on-site with bio-treatment methods.
Any non-contaminated material will be repositioned on the site. All work for the clean-up, by law, must be approved by the state DEC.
Despite assurances from Mr. Posillico, at least one area homeowner, Jack Izower, remains concerned about the site. "While the developer has invested millions of dollars, our interests are more: our community, our children," he said. "We need to do what's best to improve the community, and I do have a concern about traffic."
Mr. Posillico said car traffic generated by condominiums is certainly better than the oil tanks that trucked up and down local roadways when Cibro Oil was in full swing. "After the site is clean, the type of traffic residents would see after any development would be personal automobiles, rather than tractor trailers carting heavy loads," he said. "We will be performing traffic studies as required by the Environmental Impact Statement needed to have zoning changed to residential."
Another meeting between residents and Mr. Posillico will be scheduled for sometime in January. "The community has been concerned, polite and thoughtful," said Mr. Posillico. "I respect them and will continue to have dialogue with them."
