Ten months in the past, catastrophic flooding devastated areas on the east finish of Lengthy Island.
August storms introduced historic rainfall to Stony Brook, the place floodwaters destroyed a century-old dam that helps Harbor Highway and Grist Mill Pond.
Because the anniversary of the destruction nears, locals are annoyed that the work has not been performed but to restore the injury. That anger introduced a whole bunch of residents out to the location on Saturday to protest the inaction and hopefully result in some progress.
“The road continues to fall apart. The pond is a pit of muddy sludge and we remain disconnected from our Stony Brook neighbors as our main thoroughfare is totally impassable,” mentioned rally organizer Beth Zweig.
Some 300 folks rallied within the afternoon, many holding colourful indicators, to demand elected officers repair the crumbled mess of asphalt and dust.
“Public safety is a real issue,” Stony Brook resident Arthur Griffin mentioned. “Ambulances have to get in, fire trucks, police cars.”
The restore work is not close to completion. It truly hasn’t even begun as a result of a dispute over possession.
“People are upset. We share their frustration,” Panico mentioned.
The president of the Heritage Group says possession will not be clear, however argues that the city ought to keep the street.
“The Town of Brookhaven has paved the road, posted regulatory signs on the road, plows the road,” Dr. Richard Rugen, chairman of the muse, argued Saturday.
Panico, in the meantime, reaffirmed his place on the rally and mentioned that whereas FEMA will solely cowl 75% of the rebuilding, the city would cowl the remainder.
“We are willing to pay the other 25% to make sure the owner of the property doesn’t have to come out of pocket,” Councilman Jonathan Kornreich mentioned.
Whereas entities battle over who truly owns the street, the concept of eminent area was introduced up — an concept that might probably enable for the state or county to purchase up the street and begin fixing it straight away.
“The liability and the risk you face by doing nothing far exceeds the risk and liability of doing something,” Zweig mentioned.
Carolyn Manno reporting on a pair’s Stony Brook house struggling main injury in storm.
