Freeport residents are delighted that their beloved green space has been recognized at the state level as it faces potential redevelopment by the Amazon.
Freeport Village voted last month to rezoning Cleveland Park for industrial use and sell it. Attorney General Letitia James has filed a lawsuit to stop an Amazon warehouse from being built in the park.
Kiana Abadi says she has been using the park’s fields since she was a child.
“Losing this space to warehouses or any kind of development is a loss for our community. Lacking economic innovation, our community deserves more,” she says. “We have a lot of community members who play sports, organize, hang out and thrive here.”
Freeport resident Lovett Hook called on local lawmakers and Governor Kathy Hochul to veto the plan. She says having the Attorney General file a lawsuit is a step in the right direction.
“We’ve had a lot of knocks on doors, and this confirms what we’ve been saying since day one that this whole process wasn’t handled right,” says Hook.
She says they won’t stop until the green spaces that have existed in the community for more than 70 years remain intact.
“We won’t stop until we get a veto, until the AG issue is resolved, until the school district finally decides to deny everything that’s going on,” Hook says.
News 12 has reached out to the Mayor of Freeport for comment.