Saturday morning, a few dozen members of the community for a spirited discussion driven by a .
It's not the first time a YMCA has been proposed in Aquebogue - four years ago, a proposal to collaborate with the Riverhead Central School District in building one on Tuthills Lane failed to come to fruition. As have attempts to build near Stotzky Park, at Enterprise Park at Calverton, and on Route 105.
Proponents of placing a Y on Main Road in Aquebogue have said that no parcels downtown are large enough to suit a YMCA. And now that the Y has determined to purchase its own land privately, officials point out that finding a place to build requires a willing seller to sell at the right price.
Opponents of a Y in its suggested location - across from Vineyard Caterers - say they favor a YMCA in the area, but point to the 40,000-square-foot facility and another mixed-use proposal in Jamesport as examples of development not suited for that stretch of road. The facility would need to obtain a town board-approved special permit for an educational facility in order to build the Y there. No formal plans have been submitted in town hall yet.
On Saturday, Councilwoman Jodi Giglio suggested that if the public wants a Y that badly, the town should consider stepping up and building a facility on its own, which the town's Master Plan alludes to: "Barring the development of a YMCA or school swimming facility, the Town should consider building its own public pool."
Angela DeVito, vice president of the Jamesport-South Jamesport Civic Association, suggested that the group reach out to the Y and work with them toward finding a new location.
What do you think about a YMCA on Main Road in Aquebogue?
