Head of Oak Beach Inn redevelopment panel chosen

Former Suffolk County Executive Patrick Halpin has been selected to chair a committee that will create a master plan to redevelop the former Oak Beach Inn property in Babylon.

The town has been embroiled in a 20-year legal battle over the controversial nine-acre site. Babylon Town Supervisor Steve Bellone tapped Halpin to head the five-member panel to decide what to do next.

"He was my first choice and an obvious choice," said Bellone of Halpin.

In creating the master plan, the committee, supported by a professional staff, will analyze the site and solicit input from developers and the public.

"It's important that the redevelopment is done right because this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to develop such a large number of acres," said Halpin, who is executive vice president for external affairs at the Institute for Student Achievement in Lake Success.

Bellone agreed, saying that before any of the town's resources are invested, "I'm going to make sure it's done right."

The cost of redevelopment is expected to run into the millions of dollars, but Bellone declined to be more precise.

Suffolk County purchased the property, which overlooks Fire Island, from developer Ross Cassata for $7.95 million last year.

But reaching that stage wasn't simple. The Town, which had fought for two decades with Oak Beach Inn owner Bob Matherson, finally reached a settlement last year in which the town would pay Matherson $1.7 million and give him ownership of the property. Under terms of the deal, Matherson then sold the property to Cassata for $5.35 million, who, in turn, sold it to the county for $7.95 million.

The town was then given the responsibility of redeveloping the site.

Bellone said he is open to new ideas, but would like to see a bed and breakfast, or something similar, and a restaurant at the site.

"We are prepared to think out of the box and are only limited by the creativity that people bring forward," Halpin said.

Halpin expects to have the plan completed by October.

The committee's other members are Gus Coletti of the Oak Island Beach Association, Jed Meade of the Oak Beach Park Homeowners Association, Joanne Boettcher of the Lindenhurst Chamber of Commerce, Alysshia Armstrong of AMA Developers and Vincent Sciacca of the Sunset City Civic Association.

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