Plans for a high-profile residential development alongside an intermodal rail freight yard at the Pilgrim State Hospital site in Suffolk County raise a number of questions about the site’s future, and about rail freight’s viability on Long Island.

The Pilgrim State Hospital site is a 655-acre piece of land in Huntington. Although the hospital is still operating on a small portion of the site, much of the rest of it is being considered for redevelopment.

Over three years ago, NYSDOT conducted a feasibility study of 130 acres of Pilgrim Site and found that, given its size and proximity to the LIRR and the Long Island Expressway, was the only parcel in central Long Island where an intermodal freight yard would be feasible. It said the yard would require certain operational and infrastructural improvements. For example, the LIRR third electric rail is incompatible with the design of double-stack ed freight cars, and current LIRR weight restrictions are unattractive to freight companies. Also the plan would require increased clearances and attractive freight operating windows on the LIRR. That study has never been publicly released.

It concluded that under all investment scenarios, the project would produce more benefits than costs, even if a cross harbor rail tunnel or LIRR Main Line third track were not built. However, the latter projects would greatly improve a Pilgrim freight yard’s viability. For example, the cross harbor rail tunnel increases the benefit to cost ratio dramatically, to 3.48. The intermodal facility would be located just southwest of the Campus Road-Sagtikos Parkway intersection and would link up to the main line of the LIRR. Prior to cross-harbor tunnel construction, freight cars would arrive on the LIRR via a Hudson River float system.

Under optimal conditions, by 2020 the terminal would serve large containers (trailers and containers on flat cars) coming in via the cross harbor rail freight tunnel. The freight facility would ensure that Long Island businesses and local communities reap the avoided-truck benefits of the proposed cross harbor rail tunnel. Currently, only 1% of freight tonnage on Long Island is handled by rail. The rail yard would also decrease truck pollution, traffic, and safety hazards on Long Island, and throughout the region by reducing L.I-destined truck trips in NYC, New Jersey and other adjacent areas.

In addition to the 130 acre intermodal freight plan, local developer Jerry Wolkoff has proposed — to much fanfare — a $4 billion plan to create "Heartland Town Square," a mixed-use development on the Pilgrim site. It would use 452 acres around the hospital, 80 of which would be immediately adjacent to the eastern side of the intermodal freight site. The project would take 17 years to complete and would create a densely developed "downtown" type area, with 9,000 apartments and millions of square feet for stores and offices. Wolkoff is hailing the development as smart growth because it would increase residential densities and place homes, workplaces and shopping districts in close proximity. Some local and regional planners remain wary of the development’s likely traffic and environmental impacts. It includes 27,000 parking spaces and would destroy 125 forested acres. 86 acres of the Pilgrim site have already been transferred to the state Department of Environmental Conservation for preservation.

Preliminary concept plans for the Heartland development showed residential units overlaying large portions of the 130 acres slated for the intermodal freight facility, but local planners insist that updated plans for the two developments locate each on completely separate, albeit directly adjacent sites.

If both projects move forward according to the current plans, 80 acres of high-priced relatively dense residential housing will sit right next to a noisy, 130-acre freight yard. There is talk of separating the two uses with barriers, such as a soundproof fences. However, even if design buffers succeed in quieting some railroad noise, truck traffic in the neighborhood will be considerable. If Heartland residential development gets in the ground first, new residents are likely to have NIMBY reactions once plans for of a new freight facility next door are set in motion.

Are both uses realistic options for the site? Do the developer and municipal officials believe that a rail yard is actually coming to the area?

They could be forgiven for skepticism on the latter point, given how subterranean NY State DOT’s work on Long Island rail freight is. Why hasn’t the 2001 Pilgrim freight site study been released? Where is the effort to discuss freight issues on Long Island with key stakeholders?

Apparently, NYSDOT is still working on the companion study of bridge clearances along the LIRR, since a significant number of bridges would pose obstacles to modern rail freight equipment, but has not announced any progress with this work.

State DOT’s silence regarding freight development at Pilgrim is especially stark in contrast to the heavy publicity surrounding the Wolkoff proposal. Most Long Island citizens have no idea that there are other plans for the Pilgrim site.

Wolkoff currently has a zoning change proposal, which is required for the mixed use development, filed with the Town of Islip. The Town has not yet decided whether to approve the plan, but it is moving forward with public scoping hearings on the project relatively soon, possibly in the fall

According to local planners, NYSDOT will be will involved in the review process for the Heartland development. Hopefully, at these and subsequent meetings about the site, the agency will start doing a better job promoting the freight yard.

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