Reader Feedback: Walmart Alternatives, Carnegie Library Uses

In this week's Talk Back articles, Patchogue Patch readers talked about what they would like to see as , and what they would like to see .

Talk Back: If Not Walmart, Then What?

According to our unscientific poll, 34 percent of readers voted that they would want to see nothing come to location proposed for a possible East Patchogue Walmart. Here are the comments from the discussion:

Trader Joe's and Whole Foods are not going to come to lower income areas!! Whenever one of the local eyesores are demolished (like the Plaza Theater), it would be nice to have a "green space" of sorts (a little park, a community garden). The problem is that the owners of the properties want to make money, so they erect new eyesores like 7-eleven, fast food stores, or strip malls. WE can't win...but I guess we can dream!!

Lower income? You are obviously unaware of the per capita income of East Patchogue. Their is a rather small blighted area bordering BellPort, however it is mostly $75K+

Wake up!

That bridge needs to be completely redone if they even want to think of anything there.

Agree 100%.

Create what everyone so desperately needs, a place for children and adults that promotes healthy interaction: a playground, a walking trail with periodic cut outs for targeted exercises, add benches, a water fountain and educational postings about the local area and long island. We need to encourage people to forgo their electronic gadgets, tv's, video games etc and get outside to promote better physical and mental health.

Why not use the Bellport outlet land for Walmart, it is empty now and has better access. It will also prevent disturbing more forest for no reason.

George, I agree. The Lawyer stated that the plan, since 1972, was to build retail space there. Well it is now 2012 and the traffic flow and are is VERY different than it was in 1972. 
The reason I was told that Walmart will NOT go to the existing space is that they do not get additional funding from the Govt because they are using a preexisting location and not developing an open space area.

bj's

the town built a beautiful track and exercise area in Mt. Sinai, what are we, chopped chicken liver? Exercise Eminent Domain, Turn the property into a nature preserve, exercise track, playground. 
It appears that Walmart has a habit of bribing officials to get what they want. Would an investigation be in order over this location? It's not called Crookhaven for nothing.

We should keep the trees and leave that area alone. I'm not an envirmentalist but I do appreciate the value of the trees for air quality that is slowly deteriotating.

BJ's would be a good use for both Bellport outlets or this site. I am in favor of park but the unfortunate part is then it turns what is expected to a Valuable piece of property for the land owner into a something of very little value and most instances the landowner loses money, If the county could come up with a solution to either rent the property from the land owner or purchase at a fair price...not what Wal-mart would pay, but not pennies on the dollar either. Then the county or town could turn into into a revenue generator by making a amphitheater, ball fields, a place to hold parties etc... Those uses could generate income and not become a burden on tax payer it could be a win win for all involved.

A Park will not create Jobs. Nothing will create Nothing, tree huggers. Where have you been Lee, the plaza is Down. Yes the Bridge needs to be Improved. I would like to see an expansion of the Hospital, that would bring in all kinds of jobs. JOBS, JOBS, JOBS!

I think adding a playground area with some pic nic tables, park benches and a bike path would be nice. La Bonne Vie doesn't offer any real playground area and as a resident who lives on Hospital Road with two young children, there really aren't any local nice play areas for the kids. Add a pond with some gardens and you could have yourself a nice safe area for kids to play and ride bikes as well as the elderly enjoying the park like setting. Any retail store would be boycotting due to traffic alone. I wish they would stop builing new stores and clean up areas they already have. Pretty soon Suffolk will be the new Nassau while Nassau will be the new Queens.....

If you want a park go to Holbrook. Nice park there you can walk look at bears smell the nice clean air all of that stuff. We need jobs we need jobs we need jobs. We also need a place like walmart where we can by goods that are not overpriced. I live in north bellport and don't make tons of money and centereach is to far. Do you think wealthy people got wealthy by overpaying for things. Don't think so. We need walmart.

I understand.... I'm losing my house due to the economy and I'm all for jobs but I've been to Holbrook. It's not that "local" and they don't even keep the bathrooms open past 3:00 pm. Try to tell a 3 1/2 and 5 1/2 year old to hold it.... What I find ugly is unused space like the Bellport Shopping Center or the old Progressive Building near where they put the St. Joseph's Sports Center. Clean it up and put stores in there... I shop at Wal-mart every Thursday and am all for a local Wal-mart, but not on my block especially when there are other places to put it, that's all.

We don't need any more retail stores. Borders, Best Buy etc. closing because there is too much retail. People will die in that location getting to he Hospital because the wont b able to get over it. We manufacturering jobs. Any blight to light properties?

Talk Back: What Would You Want to See in Carnegie Library?

Around 38 percent of readers voted for the Plaza Cinema and Media Arts Center's Media Classes to be in the Carnegie Library following . Here are the comments from the discussion.

Donate the building to St. Joseph's College. They can definately use the building for classrooms & offices. It would fit perfectly where the old baseball filed is not that they opened up their new athletic complex.

Very Interesting idea, Madford...but it does currently appear a location for the building has been secured and three very viable proposals to utilize the building were made last night at our Summit.

I will be blogging a synopsis of this meeting soon, but it appears fairly certain the Library will be located at or near the corner of West Avenue and Main Street on Suffolk County Property adjacent the Court Building, thanks to the efforts of County Legislator Rob Calarco.

It's not 100% yet (I'd say 80% is a good guess) but it is good to keep the ideas coming since the possibility of alternative plans may arise.

What is most encouraging is that saving the Carnegie Library has generated near unanimous support from all our elected officials and residents alike. Thanks again for your comments.