Rechler Equity Partners has submitted a revised plan for South Bay Village, the proposed redevelopment of the former Island Hills Golf Club in Sayville, cutting the project to 568 total homes and shifting the mix toward homeownership, according to Newsday. The plan was submitted to the Town of Islip in July 2026 and is currently under review by town staff and consultants.

The new plan calls for 455 for-sale homes, about 80% of the total, and 113 rental units, down from 890 units in the developer's previous 2023 proposal. Newsday reports the change is expected to bring an estimated 1,458 new residents, a 23% reduction from the earlier plan's projected 1,889.

What's In The Plan

Of the for-sale units, 91 would be age-restricted for residents 55 and older, with a mix of two-bedroom townhouses and three-bedroom cottages. Ten percent of homes across all unit types would be designated affordable, and five units would be set aside for adults with developmental disabilities, according to Newsday's July 28 report on the proposal.

The site would include 22.4 acres of publicly accessible open space, a 200-foot green buffer along Bohemia Parkway, and a cap of 35 feet on building heights. Rechler's plan also includes an on-site fire department substation and a sewage treatment plant, with an additional 1.5 acres reserved for a possible future county sewer expansion that could serve downtown Sayville.

Money And Next Steps

The developer has pledged a $250,000 contribution toward a Sayville Business Improvement District and says he will not seek industrial development agency tax breaks. Rechler estimates the project would generate about $8.7 million a year in property taxes, most of it going to the Connetquot school district. The vacant site's most recent annual tax bill was $336,934.

No date has been set for a Planning Board hearing on the application, and the Islip Town Board holds final approval authority. Purchase prices for the homes have not been established.

A Long-Running Debate

Rechler bought the 114-acre former golf course in 2014, and it closed the following year. Earlier, larger versions of the project, about 1,400 units proposed in 2021 and 890 in 2023, drew opposition from groups including the Greater Sayville Civic Association, the Greater Sayville Chamber of Commerce and the Bohemia Civic Association, who cited traffic and infrastructure concerns and pushed for development in line with the surrounding single-family zoning.

Sources: Newsday, Town of Islip