The Town of Babylon recently granted permission to expand the existing Division of Drug and Alcohol Services' Beacon Family Wellness Centerlocated at The Annex, 281 Phelps Lane, Room 13, North Babylon, New York 11703 as the lease on the location at 400 Broadway, Amityville, New York has lapsed. In addition to servicing family members of substance abusers, the facility provides counseling and drug testing to substance abusers, most of which are court mandated and paroled. This impacts the residents of the Town of Babylon and their children as this location is immediately surrounded by Phelps Lane Park which includes town pools, ball fields, a playground, Parent and Tot programs, the North Babylon Teen Center, and music lessons. William E. DeLuca Elementary School, Robert Moses Middle School, North Babylon High School and Marion G. Vedder Elementary School are in close proximity to the Annex as well as the Spangle Drive Babylon Senior Center and Saint Paul’s Reformed Church. This is a high volume, residential area and it is believed that such a program would better serve the community if it was placed elsewhere.

It should be noted that the Division of Drug and Alcohol Services' Beacon Family Wellness Center has already commenced consolidation of this program without public knowledge as they claim that other facilities have been explored and deemed to be too costly. While the residents of the Town of Babylon believe that such a program is necessary given the presence of drug use on Long Island, we are demanding a change in location. It has become apparent that saving money has become more important to the Town of Babylon than the safety and security of their residents.

We, the undersigned, respectfully request that the Division of Drug and Alcohol Services' Beacon Family Wellness Centerlocated at The Annex, 281 Phelps Lane, Room 13, North Babylon, New York 11703 be assigned to a location that is farther away from the cornerstone of our community.