48. Todd Fabricant
2009 Power List
Chalk one up for the little guy. When Taubman Centers, Inc. announced plans to build a mall on the abandoned Cerro Wire Property in Syosset more than a decade ago, a battle of civil will was launched that, to this day, still has as much acrimony and firepower as it had on day one. Fabricant is the Chairman of the Cerro Wire Coalition, a group of 32 business and civic groups who have opposed the plan from the beginning, citing traffic concerns, safety, overcrowding and every other NIMBY-ish worry associated with such a project. Much to the dismay of Taubman, which is based in Michigan, in January, the Appellate Division in Brooklyn overturned a State Supreme Court ruling that would have forced the Town of Oyster Bay—where the project falls—to issue a special use permit allowing the mall to go forward. The ruling requires the developers to conduct another envinmental impart statement and was reaffirmed by the Appellate Division on appeal this month. At the root is the Coalition, which has tirelessly fought the plan, urging Taubman to modify its project to fit the area. Fabricant’s name falls on this Power List because he is dedicated, smart and determined. But it’s also a nod to all civic groups on LI, which usually capture the spirit of the Island perfectly.