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Will Examine Feasibility and Costs to Business District Area
Hauppauge, NY -- Suffolk County Executive Steve Levy and County Legislator Kate Browning have announced Suffolk County will explore the possibility of bringing sewers to the Shirley/Mastic business area through a feasibility study.
The County Legislature passed a resolution Tuesday, April 29 – sponsored by Legis. Browning and issued with a Certificate of Necessity by Levy – authorizing the county’s Department of Public Works to conduct an evaluation to determine the type of infrastructure and the size of a sewage treatment facility that would be needed to serve the business district, as well as the cost to the county and to the residents and businesses served by the plant.
Earlier this month the Legislature was considering a measure from Legis. Browning to lay pipes in the Mastic business district when the county reconstructs Montauk Highway in 2009. Browning and other sewer proponents were hoping that these pipes could be hooked up to a proposed treatment plant further south along William Floyd Parkway.
Levy, who has been an avid proponent of sewer expansion in Suffolk County, expressed his desire to see sewers in the area but said preliminary information about the size of the plant and the cost to be borne by the users had to be determined and shared with the local community.
“I believe most would love to have sewers in this community to allow the business district to grow,” said Levy. “But according to our engineers, the pipes must lay a certain way, based upon where they will connect to a future plant. The last thing we would want to do is spend $3 million to bury sewer lines the wrong way.”
Levy noted the pipes must be laid properly to allow for proper gravity flow, otherwise they would have to be dug up in the future.
“It is also important to find out how big the proposed plant would have to be in order to treat the additional sewage that would be produced by these businesses,” Levy added.
Public Works officials estimate that the original size of the site off William Floyd Parkway, proposed by the Holiday Organization, would have to increase anywhere from four to eight times the original size.
“It is important that the people of this area know how big this plant would have to be and that they agree to its location, as well as knowing how much money the users in the new district would have to pay for the sewer fees. Once these questions are answered, Legislator Browning and I will feel more confident in being able to move forward. It is a gratifying feeling to know that we have been working together with the community to help move this process forward in an intelligent and deliberative manner,” said Levy.
“It’s important that the businesses and residents directly affected by the sewer installation are educated of the costs and other pertinent impacts before we spend money,” Browning continued. “We all agree it’s needed, but it’s a costly venture for everyone involved, and I want my constituents to feel comfortable with what will be expected of them financially.”
“It’s fiscally responsible to lay the sewer lines now while the road is open for the reconstruction,” Browning stated. “Once all the information has been released, and everyone agrees to move forward, I will introduce a resolution to transfer the monies.”
“This solidifies the inclusion of sewer lines in the designs of the project so our engineers can move forward,” said Browning. “The actual money for the sewer lines doesn’t have to be secured until later in the year.”
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