Islamic Cemetery proposed for East Moriches airport

The Suffolk Muslim Cemetery proposed for the former Spadaro Airport in East Moriches, is an As of Right Use under its current zoning of A1 residential.

According to plans, the cemetery is slated for an over 28-acre site with over 25,000 plots located on Montauk Highway. The site has remained vacant since the closure of the private airport in 2016.

The application includes the demolition of small sheds and structures, new front railing and gates, drainage along existing roadway/parking and two recharge basins, a new parking lot, landscape and related site improvements. The application also states a plan to keep the existing residential building as is and one existing building to be renovated for office use, plus one new 6,000-square-foot single-story building for funeral service use.

The developer, Ghulam Sarwar, filed the application under Sali Holdings Inc. and Lime Enterprises Inc., which are both located in Holtsville.

According to the National Library of Medicine, Muslims are always buried, never cremated. Additionally, it is a religious requirement that the body be ritually washed and draped before burial, which should be as soon as possible after death.

During a Muslim funeral service, the deceased is taken to the cemetery for burial and traditionally, only men are allowed to attend the burial, though some Muslim communities may allow women to attend.

The grave must be at the right angles to the direction of Mecca, with the deceased placed on their right side facing the Islamic holy city. Wood and stones should be placed on top of the body to prevent direct contact between the person and the soil. All mourners will pour handfuls of earth on top of the grave, before it is filled in.

“The use of this property as a cemetery is less intense than housing would be, and ideally, will allow for a more natural landscape setting,” said councilwoman Karen Kesnig Dunne.

The town’s planning department, she noted, will continue to work with the applicant to achieve a site plan “that will strike the right balance.”