The boarded buildings have sat empty since August 2006, doing little more than casting shadows over the weeds growing through the cracks in the parking lot pavement. One store advertises "nine-cent" wares, with just part of its sign still intact from better 99-cent days.
Bob Reid and Jim Flynn of Shoreham hatched the plan in July to transform the empty Kmart into Wise Buys Markets, with vendors selling merchandise from stalls inside the building and local farmers selling in-season produce in an outdoor market in the parking lot.
"We just thought it would be a good thing for the community," Mr. Reid said.
It would be a temporary use for the next three to five years, he said, until owner Wilbur Breslin, chief executive of Breslin Realty in Garden City, decided on a permanent development for the property.
Merchandise vendors in the flea market section would rent stalls inside the building to sell surplus and closeout merchandise, according to Mr. Reid. Long Island farmers would be given an area of the parking lot to sell produce, without having to rent a stall.
The team also planned to use the venture to promote various not-for-profit organizations, which Mr. Reid said would be allowed to set up booths to advocate and raise money for their organizations.
Mr. Reid said he received a positive response to the plan from Middle Island and Ridge residents and businesses.
"Delis and pizza parlors and gas stations nearby loved it," he said "They thought it would bring business to the area,"
Despite the positive feedback, it turns out the property isn't zoned for the venture, according to Brookhaven Councilwoman Connie Kepert. In Brookhaven, farmers markets are relegated to L2 heavy industrial zones, she said.
She said she was surprised by this and would not be in favor of rezoning the property to allow for a market. The proximity of the property to Artist Lake "certainly is not a good place to have heavy industrial use," she said. Mr. Reid said Ms. Kepert has appeared to him to be "very opposed" to the market. Ms. Kepert said she initially thought a farmers market would be nice and had not taken a position on the project, despite some resistance from community members. But with the current zoning code, community support is not the point in question.
"It's just about a dead issue," Ms. Kepert said.
Mr. Breslin said he's not interested in rezoning the property for short-term use.
Middle Island Civic Association president Tom Talbot said there has not been an opportunity to fully discuss the proposal at an association meeting, so the group didn't develop a stance in support of or against it.
"By the time we started talking about it, the issue was over," Mr. Talbot said.
Though the project has screeched to a halt, Mr. Reid said he still hopes some type of deal can be worked out.
But Mr. Breslin said the market plan for the site is not going to happen. He said he plans to redevelop the site and it will still be commercial, but he has no specifics to announce at present.
Mr. Talbot said his civic association is eager to see the parcel, which is a key site in the Middle Country Road Land Use Plan, put to some sort of reasonable long-term use.
asnyder@northshoresun.com