Shirley, NY - Today, Congressman Tim Bishop, Supervisor Mark Lesko, Environmental Facilities Corporation President Matthew Driscoll, and Brookhaven Town Councilman Daniel Panico joined with local businesses to announce the groundbreaking of Sewer District #2, a $10 million American Recovery and Reinvestment Project that will result in much needed sewers for the Brookhaven R&D Plaza in Shirley, which will create jobs and protect the environment by reducing the amount of nitrogen entering groundwater. Construction is expected to be completed by June 2011. It is expected that half of the $10 million will be funded by long-term interest free financing over 20 years; the other half is eligible for principal forgiveness through the stimulus act.

“I applaud Congressman Bishop, Senators Schumer and Gillibrand, and our State Officials for bringing this stimulus project to Brookhaven. We are putting shovels in the ground today to breathe life into the local economy. Sewers are a key to economic development in Brookhaven. Sewer District #2 will create much-needed jobs now and will have a multiplier effect on the economy,” said Supervisor Mark Lesko.

“This stimulus-funded project will provide immediate construction jobs and lay the foundation for long-term private sector growth in Brookhaven,” Congressman Tim Bishop said. “Expanded sewer capacity in the Empire Zone is exactly the kind of investment we need to be making in our community’s future.”

Councilman Daniel Panico added, “The current business and the future endeavors that the Sewer District will help change the face of Brookhaven allowing for job creation and expansion that is so needed in today’s economy. In both economic and environmental terms, this is a great step forward.”

New York State Environmental Facilities Corporation President Matthew Driscoll said, “This project is yet another example of stimulus funding having a positive impact on the lives of New Yorkers that have been hard hit by the global recession. Thanks to Governor Paterson and our Congressional Delegation’s support of funding water quality projects through the Federal stimulus program, we are able to make this important announcement today."

“The groundbreaking of Brookhaven Sewer District #2 is a win-win for the Town and all of Long Island,” Senator Schumer said. “Not only will this project create local jobs, it will make necessary infrastructure upgrades and boost economic development in the community. The bottom line is that this project will help enhance the local tax base at the Brookhaven R&D Plaza. I am proud to have fought so hard to see funding for this project included in the Recovery Act and will continue to work hard to see Long Island communities get the funding they need and deserve.”

“Relieving the property tax burden is one of my top priorities. In order to sustain New York’s workforce, character and people, the federal government must play its part to assist local communities address the burden of high property taxes – and that starts with water infrastructure,” Senator Gillibrand said. “This investment of federal dollars for Brookhaven’s waste water infrastructure will help sustain long-term economic growth. I will continue fighting for these resources on Long Island.”

The Town of Brookhaven has formed a special district, “Brookhaven Sewer District #2”, which will construct, operate, and maintain the sewage treatment plant to serve the properties within the Brookhaven R&D Plaza, which includes 235 acres of Light Industrial zoned property, portions of which had previously been sterilized from further development or expansion by the lack of available sewers.

This Sewer District has been a long time coming for the Brookhaven R&D Plaza and the property owners in the development have been involved in this process from the very beginning. In 1987 and again in 1995, Suffolk County approved the plans of a private company, Yaphank Development Company Inc., for a sewage treatment plant and collection system. The collection system was installed, but the treatment plant was never built, which resulted in no further development being allowed within this sub-division. In 2004, the property owners of the Brookhaven R&D Plaza filed a petition with the Brookhaven Town Clerk requesting the creation of a special district to complete the sewer system that was approved more than 15 years ago. An amended petition was filed in 2006 to address the New York State Comptroller’s requested modifications to the application to approve the formation of this special district.

The property owners of the sewer district will finance this project, which will allow them to expand their businesses and will attract new businesses. There are 96 acres of L-I (Light Industrial) zoned vacant land in this area that is now available for development. The County has recently allowed development in this area with temporary sanitary systems until the plant is completed in the summer of 2011. All sites developed are required to maintain natural vegetation on 35% of their lot area in compliance with Pine Barrens Act.

 

Division of Public Information * Office of the Supervisor