They were discussing a development project in Mount Sinai, when they were reminded of another project on a parcel directly across the street.

"There are projects planned everywhere [from Mount Sinai to Wading River]," Ms. Bonner said Tuesday. "And it's all piece by piece. There's nothing with the whole corridor in mind. There's no totality."

Enter Ms. Bonner's corridor study plan, which she hopes will help the town determine which projects the area can support and the state figure out a way to improve traffic flow along the busy corridor.

Ms. Bonner touted the plan, which was reported on in May by The North Shore Sun, at a press conference at the Rose Caracappa Center in Mount Sinai. With her, she brought a poster from the town's Planning Board that told a scary story of development in the Second District. The projects listed on the poster ranged from proposed zone changes to new subdivisions, to site plans for new commercial development and the redevelopment of existing shopping centers. A total of 128 projects were listed.

"That stretch of road could look very different in the future," Ms. Bonner said. "We need to make sure we do this right."

The study area will extend from Crystal Brook Hollow Road in Mount Sinai to the Riverhead Town border in Wading River, resulting in a regional land use plan for the Route 25A corridor that integrates transportation, housing, recreation and zoning recommendations to create and support quality communities, according to Ms. Bonner. The study will examine proposed projects to determine pending development pressure and perform a vacant land analysis to determine remaining development potential in the area.

Among the goals of the study, Ms. Bonner listed improving vehicular and pedestrian safety; coordinating town, county and state planning; redeveloping blighted parcels; encouraging walkable community centers; and ensuring the preservation of open space.

Ms. Bonner said one of the objectives of the study is to establish a citizens advisory committee to ensure community participation.

The study will take about 18 to 24 months and cost the town less than $300,000, according to Ms. Bonner, who said she hopes the funding will be available in the 2009 budget, which will not be adopted until next month.

The corridor study is not an entirely new idea for that stretch of Route 25A. A similar plan was proposed by Ms. Bonner's predecessor, Kevin McCarrick. The key difference between the two proposals, though, is that Ms. Bonner's plan would not institute a moratorium, stopping development along Route 25A. Which does, however, mean that some of these development plans could be completed by the end of the study.

Sen. Ken LaValle (R-Port Jefferson) appeared along with Ms. Bonner at Monday's press conference, where he offered his support for the plan. Mr. LaValle said the "study is critically important to the future of Route 25A and the surrounding communities."

Wading River Civic president Sid Bail likened the plan to chicken soup. "It may not cure the common cold, but it cannot hurt," he said.

Shoreham Civic president Kevin Ward also offered his organization's support on the plan. He used the proposed Tallgrass Village Center planned development district as an example of how such a corridor study can help.

"If you look at Tallgrass, a lot of people were not totally against the [PDD] concept," Mr. Ward said. "They were against the size of that particular project and the fact that we simply couldn't support it."

"I'm excited about this study," Mr. Ward continued. "Smart growth really gives us a chance to do it the right way. It's a good chance to see what our communities can support."

gparpan@northshoresun.com

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