The now vacant Sunrise Mall, which could be the next location for an Amazon warehouse. Carolyn James/Herald
The recent closure of Dick’s Sporting Goods, the last remaining tenant at Sunrise Mall, has renewed attention on a proposed Amazon warehouse and distribution center now under review by the Town of Oyster Bay.
According to plans submitted to the town, Amazon would develop 26.7 acres of the site into a 24/7 warehouse and delivery station, including fleet service and vehicle inspection buildings. The project is expected to employ 75 to 100 warehouse workers and up to 305 drivers, with construction estimated to take about 13 months once approvals are secured.
The future of the remaining roughly 50 acres of mall property has not been determined.
Reaction from nearby residents has been mixed, with many citing quality-of-life concerns.
“I have lived in this town for 30 years and this is a quality-of-life issue,” said Carmela Hahl of Westwood Road. “The site is right in my backyard, and it could affect the value of our homes if we see a large volume of trucks going in and out … and us having to breathe all that diesel fuel when the trucks are idling.”
Rashid Malik of Linwood Place raised similar concerns about “the prospect of having to deal with this big facility with trucks and noise issues,” adding that the mall’s presence had been “great” for the neighborhood.
Anne Salerno, also of Linwood Place, said she “would have preferred affordable housing,” but added, “I guess anything is better than having a ghost mall.”
For Michael Pearson of East Gate, whose home borders the property, the scale of operations is troubling. He pointed to “24 hours, seven days operation, with hundreds of workers, people coming and going.”
Others were less concerned. Linda Conboy of Ashwood Place and Brian Zash of Linwood Place said the project would not significantly impact them, while William Simari of Park Lane said it “would not be too terrible.”
Source: Massapequa Post
