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Town of Huntington

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Polls closed at 9 p.m. and TBR News Media will update the results throughout the night.

The following are not the final election tallies, as the Suffolk County Board of Elections still has to count all absentee ballots starting. All current results can possibly change in the next few weeks, and those finding themselves in even moderately close races could see a shift.

As of  12:30 a.m:

Suffolk County District Attorney

Tim Sini (D) – 108277 votes 42.69%

Ray Tierney (R) – 145292 votes 57.28%

Suffolk County Sheriff

Errol Toulon Jr. (D) –  135162 votes 54.39%

William Amato (R) – 113285 votes 45.58%

Suffolk County Legislator, 6th District:

Sarah Anker (D) – 7141 votes

Brendan Sweeney (R) – 8329 votes

Suffolk County Legislator, 5th District:

Kara Hahn (D) – 7582votes

Salvatore Isabella (R) – 7508 votes

Suffolk County Legislator, 4th District:

Dawn Marie Sharrock (D) – 3066 votes

Nicholas Caracappa (R) – 7702 votes

Suffolk County Legislator, 16th District:

Susan Berland (D) – 5640 votes

Manuel Esteban (R) – 6165 votes

Suffolk County Legislator, 12th District: 

Leslie Kennedy (R) – 6754 votes

Mike Sidekaris (D) – 2411 votes

Suffolk County Legislator, 13th District: 

Rob Trotta (R) – 5761 votes

Kevin Mulholland (D) – 2564 votes

Michael Simonelli (C) – 2675 votes

Suffolk County Legislator, 18th District:

Mark Cuthbertson (D) – 9765 votes

Stephanie Bontempi (R) – 11419 votes

Brookhaven town clerk:

Donna Lent (R) – 54085 votes 67.89%

Ira Costell (D) – 25546 votes 32.07%

Huntington supervisor:

Rebecca Sanin (D) – 17782 votes 39.90%

Edmund Smyth (R) – 25057 votes 56.22%

Eugene Cook (Stop LIPA) – 1727 votes 3.87%

Huntington town council member – two seats:

Jen Hebert (D) – 18174 votes 21.01%

Joseph Schramm (D) – 17171 votes 19.85%

Dave Bennardo (R) – 26300 votes 30.41%

Salvatore Ferro (R) – 24835 votes 28.71%

Huntington superintendent of highways:

Kevin Orelli (D) – 19338 votes 43.39%

Andre Sorrentino (R) – 25216 votes 59.58%

Smithtown town supervisor:

Ed Wehrheim (R) – 20446 votes 75.01%

Maria Scheuring (D) – 6806 votes 24.97%

Smithtown town council member – two seats:

Thomas McCarthy (R) – 19753 votes 37.31%

Lynne Nowick (R) – 19833 votes 37.46%

Dylan Rice (D) – 6965 votes 13.16%

Marc Etts (D) – 6378 votes 12.05%

Smithtown town clerk:

Vincent Puleo (R) – 18537 votes 99.80%

Smithtown superintendent of highways:

Robert Murphy (R) – 22231 votes 99.80 %

 

From left, Bruce Tilden, Jeanne Tilden, Councilman Eugene Cook, Supervisor Chad Lupinacci, Councilman Mark Cuthbertson, Councilman Ed Smyth, Councilwoman Joan Cergol, Mark McAteer, Sarah Lansdale, August Ruckdeschel and Larry Foglia. Photo from Town of Huntington

Councilman Mark Cuthbertson, Bruce and Jeanne Tilden, Huntington Town board members, representatives from Suffolk County, Larry Foglia, Suffolk County Farm Committee Representative and environmental groups were on hand Oct. 21 to announce the Town and County’s 50-50 partnership in the acquisition of the development rights to the approximately 13.69 acres of Tilden Lane Farm, a farm that has been in operation since 1793. 

In July of 2015 Councilman Cuthbertson started the process for the Town of Huntington to consider acquiring the development rights to the farm (TOH resolution 2015-345 & 2017-327) in conjunction with Suffolk County. 

In January 2020 the Town and County closed on a joint acquisition of farmland development rights of the Tilden Lane Farm.   This acquisition was possible due to the Farmland Development Rights program, which began in 1974. Suffolk County was the first in the nation to create a program like this, which permanently preserves farmland.  

Other farms in Huntington that are protected in this manner include the 49-acre White Post Farm on West Pulaski Road in Huntington and the 1.9-acre former Ketcham Horse Farm in Fort Salonga both of which had their farmland development rights acquired by the County.  In 2009 the Town and County shared in an acquisition of farmland development rights for 16.4 acres of the Richter’s orchard in East Northport and Fox Hollow Farm in South Huntington which is now ELIJA Farm. 

Since the creation of the program, Suffolk County has preserved over 11,000 acres. Additionally, other municipalities and land trusts have preserved 9,000 acres, bringing the countywide total to 20,000 acres. In 1998, when the first Huntington Environmental Open Space and Park Fund Review Advisory (or the EOSPA) Program was approved by Huntington residents, 15 open space acquisitions were made with the County’s support, matched by Town dollars. This helped to protect 2/3 of the total acreage conserved through the EOSPA program. 

The County Farmland Protection Program is known across the country. It preserved agricultural lands and farm livelihoods. It allows families and farmers to ply their heritage and opens opportunities for starting farmers to engage at a more reasonable cost. 

“I want to thank the Tilden family, Suffolk County, and the EOSPA committee. This collaboration will allow the Tilden Lane Farm to continue to operate as a working farm” said Councilman Mark Cuthbertson. “The thousands of acres of farmland in Suffolk County that have been preserved, are a “win-win” in that it preserves the land and allows farming operations to continue in perpetuity.  There is such little farm land in Western Suffolk County, I am proud to be a part of preserving every farm we can.”

“Everyone at Tilden Lane Farm appreciates the support of our elected officials in the Town of Huntington and the County of Suffolk that will enable us to keep operating our 8-generation family farm!,” said Bruce Tilden.

“Through the County’s first in the nation Farmland Preservation program, and thanks to the partnership of the Town of Huntington, we have been able to preserve more than 13 acres of farmland in Western Suffolk County – a major accomplishment when it comes to ensuring the future of farming all across Suffolk,” said County Executive Bellone. “This family run farm, which has been in operation for centuries, will be able to continue their tradition of providing Christmas Trees to the surrounding community for generations to come.”

“It is vital that we preserve as much of Long Island’s usable farmland as possible. I commend and thank Councilman Mark Cuthbertson for his hard work, as well as everyone on our Open Space Committee and in the Suffolk County Executive’s office who was involved in this important farmland acquisition” stated Councilwoman Joan Cergol

“Thanks to the Town-County partnership that allowed the preservation of Tilden Farm and other ones like it, future generations will also be inspired to become advocates for the environment and protecting our green space,” said Supervisor Chad Lupinacci.

“Thank you to Bruce, his wife Jeanne, and the entire Tilden family as well as the county and EOSPA committee for working with the Town of Huntington to help preserve this open space and retain Tilden Farm’s agricultural purpose for generations to come. Acquiring Tilden Farm is an incredible example of what can be accomplished when local governments work together,” said Councilman Ed Smyth.

“The purchase of the development rights for Tilden Farm is a wonderful way for Suffolk County and the Town of Huntington to partner in maintaining this farmland in perpetuity,”, stated Councilman Eugene Cook. 

“I want to thank the Tilden Family who will continue to operate this Greenlawn Christmas tree farm, while protecting it from development.  I am proud to be part of preserving not only an important part of Long Island history, but a part of the charm that Huntington was built on.”

Photos from candidates

While the race for Suffolk County legislator in the 18th Legislative District got off to a rocky start with contentious mailers sent by both candidates, the tone was civil during a TBR News Media Zoom debate with candidates Mark Cuthbertson (D), currently serving as Town of Huntington councilman, and Stephanie Bontempi, a newcomer to the political field.

County Legislator William “Doc” Spencer (D-Centerport) has served the district for nearly a decade, but decided not to run this year. He is currently facing charges for allegedly trading oxycodone for sex.

Meet the candidates

Bontempi, who grew up in Sweden and came to the U.S. for college and decided to stay in New York, is a fifth-grade teacher at The Green Vale School in Old Brookville. The wife and mother, of three grown children, has lived in Centerport for 30 years.

She’s the chairperson of Town of Huntington’s Beautification Advisory Council and has been a member of several local organizations. In addition to teaching, she has a degree in finance and two graduate degrees in education-related subjects.

She said with more time on her hands now that her children are grown, she decided to run for office and be a “voice for the people in our community.”

“I’ve seen a decline in our area,” Bontempi said. “Our taxes are going up, roads failing, the environment, water quality and so forth … rather than complain, I want to try to do something about it.”

Cuthbertson has been a town councilman for more than two decades. He grew up in Huntington Station and graduated from Walt Whitman High School. He’s a husband and father of three children. As a councilman as well as an attorney, he said he’s been involved in local government in a public and private capacity. He said he has “good grounding” when it comes to not only town issues but county issues. 

“I really feel that I can bring the breadth of my experience to the county and work with the county executive, who has been a friend for 24 years, to do things for the 18th Legislative District.”

He added he’s proud of helping to preserve and protect more than 1,000 acres of land in the Town of Huntington and contributing to the town’s triple-A bond rating.

County budget

Cuthbertson said there are several things that are good in the proposed Suffolk County budget, including $125 million for wastewater infrastructure which he thinks is key. He also agrees with the $35 million for main street recovery to help businesses hit by COVID-19 and money put aside if the pandemic becomes an ongoing issue.

“I think the good parts of this budget are the reserve funds,” he said. “I think that’s been a key to our success in the Town of Huntington is when you have good years — not just squandering that money on spending — reserving it for things that you have to pay in the future. So, there’s money that’s going toward tax stabilization. There’s money that’s going toward debt service reserve fund and insurance reserve fund, pensions and payouts of employees which are important.” 

Bontempi said one has to be careful when using the term surplus, especially since the county has additional funds due to federal government aid and not taxpayers’ money.

“We have to be very careful with how we utilize this money,” Bontempi said.

She added the county has pulled money from the budget for a long time and money has been taken out from the funds for sewer stabilization and environmental causes.

“I would suggest that we replenish the areas where money has been taken out, definitely,” she said. “I would suggest that we repay some of our debt to lower our interest expenses.”

Bontempi added the county’s Department of Social Services needs more attention. She said the department is overwhelmed and understaffed leading to not having the proper resources to serve the community.

Cuthbertson agreed that being able to staff social services at adequate levels is important.

“We have 7.2% of this county living in poverty, and there are outcomes there that are very difficult and beyond people in poverty, that are in difficult circumstances that need the help of government,” he said.

Suffolk County Police Department

Bontempi said after people’s physiological needs are met the next fundamental need to thrive is safety.

“We need to feel safe in our homes,” she said. “We need to feel safe dropping our children at the school bus. We need to feel safe walking our dogs. So, I am very much a proponent for law enforcement.”

She added because of this she feels police officers should be provided funding for adequate training and to be well equipped.

Cuthbertson said it’s well known that SCPD officers make good money and county residents know “a police officer joins the force and in a short period of time, with overtime, he’s probably making in excess of six figures.”

He added it’s important to continue giving police the resources they need but also to demand accountability. Cuthbertson said it’s important to evolve and embrace “the mental health piece of the police reform plan to embrace other issues.”

It’s important to look at issues in Suffolk County, he added, where studies show Blacks and Hispanics are more likely to get pulled over or be part of an escalated situation.

“Let’s compensate our police adequately and well, but let’s ask that they embrace change and accountability, and I think 99% of the police force do,” Cuthbertson said. “I think it’s a matter of just a cultural shift that hopefully is going on.” 

Sewers

He said with approximately $286 million from the American Recovery Plan, there’s a possibility that some funding will go to Huntington Station sewering. He said there has been a study of the area and the direction the town should go and the best alternatives to connect to an existing sewering system.

“I think by partnering with the county we could affect some really great change for the environment for economic development in one fell swoop,” Cuthbertson said. 

He added they have to do a better job in talking to residents about replacing their septic systems with low-nitrogen units.

Bontempi agreed that sewers are important. She said in addition to Huntington Station, areas north of Route 25A need to be looked at, too. She said higher-density areas and elevated areas have more toxins seeping into the ground and making it to local waterways.

She added the new low-nitrogen septic systems need more work as they are expensive to install, even with the county grant.

“We have to protect our water,” she said. “There is no question about it.”

The two agreed there are difficulties with getting sewers in certain areas of the district due to topography.

William “Doc” Spencer

Both candidates said regarding Spencer they would like to continue his work to help save the environment such as the plastic bag initiative. Bontempi added she applauds his work in saving open space, such as Coindre Hall Park that overlooks Huntington Harbor. Both candidates said Spencer’s work regarding the opioid crisis is also important to continue.

Candidates for Huntington Town Board, from left, David Bennardo, Sal Ferro, Jennifer Hebert and Joseph Schramm took part in a debate at TBR News Media’s office. Photos by Rita J. Egan

With two seats open on the Huntington Town Board, whoever finds themselves filling those empty positions will have their hands full, whether it’s helping bring business to the town during and after COVID-19 or dealing with water quality issues and shoring up the coastline.

Despite all that, the four candidates vying for the Town Board each said during a relaxed and downright friendly debate within TBR News Media’s office that they want to reestablish a sense of bipartisanship and civility to politics, especially as they look to represent a way forward for Huntington in these uncertain times.

Candidates David Bennardo and Sal Ferro are running on the Republican and Conservative party lines, while Joseph Schramm and Jennifer Hebert have gained the nods of the Democratic and Working Families parties. With current council seats for Ed Smyth (R), who is running for  town supervisor, and Mark Cuthbertson (D), running for county legislator, their seats will be filled by two newcomers in 2022. 

Photo by Rita J. Egan

All candidates agreed that the rising cost of living on Long Island and Huntington is a major issue for everyone. Schramm, who lives in Northport, owns a sports marketing agency that includes high-end soccer clientele. He said he moved his business mostly remote, away from its old office in Manhattan and now bases it in Huntington. He said there are multiple businesses looking to move out from New York like his, and that this is an opportunity for the town to attract them to the North Shore. He would start a committee to specifically look at attracting businesses like other television and production companies.

Ferro, of Commack and the CEO of Alure Home Improvements, agreed that the town should attract new businesses, adding that Huntington has a lot to offer, whether it’s the Melville office corridor, a regional medical center, a large train station and access to the Hauppauge Industrial Park. The town can relay these opportunities by creating zoning where people want to develop.

“Why did Amazon go with Oyster Bay and not Huntington — it was more attractive,” Ferro said. “We’re not attractive, you have to become attractive.”

Bennardo, a Greenlawn resident, recently retired as the superintendent of South Huntington school district. He argued that the town would best be served with certain tax abatements, tax incentives and cutting red tape that restricts businesses from setting up shop, especially in the empty spaces that are already developed throughout the town. He referred to one example as the lengthy wait for pool permits, which not only hurts homeowners, but decreases the number of contracts for businesses who install those pools.

Hebert, who in the past was a nine-year school board member and president of Huntington school district, said she comes from a family of small business owners and that she agreed that there’s a need to support and welcome those large businesses into the town. As for the empty storefronts around town, she would gather experts in current business trends to see where the market is going and find which businesses will survive being in brick and mortar. At the same time, she argued there’s a need for the town to cut down on expenses and potentially hire a grant writer to analyze different new grant-based revenue streams. As well, the town could use an updated master plan.

“I think that Huntington has been going about this in a very haphazard way,” she said. “And, really, what we need is a plan that reflects what our community wants and what we have available for us to do in Huntington.”

Photo by Rita J. Egan

Ferro agreed but added that it’s better to find grant writers specialized in specific arenas like the environment. Further, he said that while COVID has posed a problem for some businesses, it has also proved a boon to some others. The recent closure of the venerable Book Revue in Huntington village was a big blow to the community. Regarding the issue of filling empty storefronts in the town, the home improvements CEO argued that a big problem is rent prices, especially in the village. He said the town needs to look at rent abatements and work with landlords to try and fill those empty storefronts.

Looking at the empty spaces in the Huntington train station parking lot shows that less people are commuting to the city for work, Schramm said. Instead, he argued the town should look at more shared office spaces for small businesses. 

“Let’s not stumble over what’s behind us,” the marketing agency owner said. “We have to reimagine our downtowns, but what we have is a huge new workforce that exists in our town. Let’s figure out a way to leverage it.”

Bennardo also confirmed his support for rent abatements for small businesses, especially since mom-and-pop shops make so little money for the first few years after opening. He said certain regulations, like those that restrict upstairs apartments, could be nixed to better facilitate 

“I don’t see any real thing wrong with using a part of your building for two or three apartments upstairs,” he said. “It’s really what’s going on across the country. They don’t put six-story buildings up, they don’t destroy the integrity of a neighborhood, you don’t even know they’re there.”

Recent reports by environmental groups on Long Island routinely report water quality issues with bays on the North Shore. Particularly the bays in Centerport and Cold Spring Harbor report dangerous lack of oxygen in the water, which has led in part to dangerous algae blooms. 

Photo by Rita J. Egan

Schramm said he would support dredging Northport Harbor, which he said would be “an expensive proposition, but it has a lot of environmental benefits,” especially regarding fish die-offs and hypoxia in the bay waters. Northport also has a bio-filtration FLUPSY program in the works, which will help preserve the oyster population and clean the harbor waterways, and he said he would like to see that expanded to other bays in the Town of Huntington. Other than the bays, Schramm said he would like to see town parks and facilities updated and improved to the same quality as neighboring townships.

Hebert agreed, and shared that she would like to deal with concerns of Centerport and Eaton’s Neck residents about beach erosion and crumbling seawalls. Especially important is getting everybody to sit around the table to confer, with Hebert adding that she doesn’t feel text or even Zoom meetings have facilitated the interactions that actually get things done.

Bennardo said additional issues remain with facilitating upland and downland drainage systems, and that there’s a need now to clean out those drainage systems before they leak into both the aquifer and the bays. The other issue remains cesspools, something all the candidates agreed were antiquated and need to be replaced where they can. “That’s not an area where we can let cost be an argument because it’s our drinking water,” he said. 

Ferro said there are millions of dollars in grant money available to aid in environmental remediation projects within the next several years, and it’s imperative that the town focuses on getting a piece of that pie. He agreed with the other candidates that oysters are a good option for cleaning out bays, adding that regarding the antiquated cesspools, promoting nitrogen-reducing systems where sewers won’t fit is also critical. 

Overall, the candidates confirmed their commitment to seeing a change in the way local government sees the people and, perhaps more introspectively, sees itself. Ferro said he’s more than used to working with electeds on both sides of the aisle. Schramm, as an openly gay man who lives with his life-partner Steve, said he would work toward a more inviting Huntington for everyone. “Our Town Hall needs to start having people provide sign language at Town Board meetings,” he said. “We need to include everybody in our community. We need to be a welcoming Town Hall.”

Around the table, among mutual compliments, Hebert put an emphasis on the need for compromise and a shared sense of consideration for each other. “I would say you have four people here who are representing exactly what you should do to restore trust and leadership,” she said.

Bennardo echoed the sentiment, adding, “We all want to win, but we’ve made a decision that you have to act like an adult. No good compromise ever happens when someone’s calling someone a socialist or Marxist or a fascist or any of that — it’s nonsense.”

American Flag at half-staff on Veterans Plaza at Huntington Town Hall Friday, August 27, 2021.

Huntington Town Supervisor Chad A. Lupinacci directed that flags on all Town of Huntington buildings be flown at half-staff to honor the thirteen American servicemembers who were killed in a terrorist attack in Kabul, Afghanistan on August 26.

“The Town of Huntington mourns the tragic loss of thirteen brave servicemembers who entered the dangerous  conditions unfolding in Afghanistan, putting their lives in harm’s way to save their fellow Americans and Afghan friends to the cause of freedom, which is why our flag on Veterans Plaza flies at half-staff in their honor,” said Sup. Lupinacci.

A suicide bomber detonated a device outside Abbey Gate at Kabul’s airport, killing twelve U.S. Marins and one Navy medic along with at least 60 Afghan civilians and wounding up to 140.

 

Leah Jefferson, director of the Huntington Community Development Agency and Economic Development Corporation, speaks at the Aug. 20 press conference. Photo by Kimberly Brown

The Town of Huntington has been awarded $5.9 million from the U.S. Department of Treasury to go toward a new outreach program called the Emergency Rental Assistance Program.

The grand opening of the new center took place Aug. 20 in Greenlawn. The program’s purpose is to provide economic relief to help low and moderate-income households who are at risk of experiencing homelessness or housing instability. 

“The funds can pay for 12 months of past-due residential rent for some households, up to three months in future rent and up to 12 months of overdue electric or gas utility bills,” said town Supervisor Chad Lupinacci (R). 

All payments would go directly to the landlord or the utility provider. By partnering with Housing Help, trained specialists will be available to answer questions about the program and assist anyone who needs help filling out an application form.

“Help is available even if you have no lease, no pay stubs and regardless of immigration status,” Lupinacci said. 

With evictions on the rise and rent going up in price, housing instability for tenants and landlords has become an extensive issue. Landlords are encouraged to fill out an online application form or visit the new ERAP center in person to work out a solution for their tenants’ overdue rent.

“This program has been a blessing to the residents,” said Leah Jefferson, director of the Huntington Community Development Agency and Economic Development Corporation. “We have received over 300 applications to date. However, we do anticipate receiving a much larger number of applications in the coming few weeks.”

The center is located at 95 Broadway in Greenlawn. Even so, James Calero, director of St. Hugh of Lincoln Outreach, has worked with Housing Help to provide a satellite office in Huntington Station for ERAP appointments as well.

This closer location will make it easier for local residents to travel to, or meetings can also be set up as a video conference. 

“For those people who might not have transportation and are not able to get to the Greenlawn center, please give us a call, we’ll be happy to set up an appointment and we will meet with you,” said Pilar Moya-Mancera, executive director of Housing Help. 

The Housing Help board members expressed their gratitude for the creation of this new program and for Moya-Mancera, who has a passion for community activism and has aided town residents.

“I like to say this is like Christmas in August for our community, and it’s something that we needed for a while,” said Guillermo Perez, a Housing Help board member. “It’s an honor to be a part of this, and I want to thank Pilar. She is like an octopus; her hands are everywhere — she covers all of Long Island and is a blessing to us.”

Barry Udelson from Cornell Cooperative Extension of Suffolk County shows those in attendance oysters. Photo by Kimberly Brown

After a great amount of hard work and dedication, Village of Northport trustee Dave Weber Jr. was happy to announce Wednesday, July 28, that the latest stage of the aquaculture program between Northport Village, Cornell Cooperative Extension of Suffolk County and Town of Huntington Maritime Services is officially operating.

Supervisor Chad Lupinacci speaks at the July 28 press conference. Photo by Kimberly Brown

The entities have established Floating Upweller System, also known as FLUPSY, floats which will become essential to preserving the oyster population as well as cleaning waterways in Northport Harbor.

“About 30 community members set this plan in motion to raise funds and support this FLUPSY program,” Weber said, “What’s better than to start an aquaculture program right here in our own backyard to support, safeguard and help maintain a healthy marine environment?”

There are numerous benefits to having the FLUPSY dock in Northport Harbor because it allows a large number of oysters to grow while simultaneously protecting them from natural predators.

“The idea behind this is that we’re constantly providing a heavy flow of water passing over the shellfish,” said Barry Udelson from CCE of Suffolk County. “If you’re pumping water through them, they’re constantly getting a much healthier diet. Think about giving them heavy protein shakes, they’ll grow much faster than if they were naturally sitting on the bay bottom.”

The dock holds 100,000 baby oysters that are 4 to 10 millimeters in size. In a few months, the oysters will grow to approximately 40 mm.

Once the oysters are mature enough to survive out in open waters, Huntington Maritime Services and CCE of Suffolk County will place them in the bay. The oysters will continue to grow until they are big enough to be harvested by baymen.

“This is the first year, but as we continue to grow we may be able to expand these floats to more than 100,000 oysters,” Udelson said. “As more communities like yours start to appreciate this, we can find ways to continue to expand to other parts of Long Island and improve everyone’s water quality.”

The oysters will be able to filter out the nitrogen, caused by rain runoff, fertilizers and cesspools and introduce oxygen into the water. The process will serve as an efficient way to clean out the waterways and create safer habitats for other species.

The FLUPSY program will also have an educational component to it and help teach students about shellfish aquaculture. Currently, the program has taken on two Northport High School interns who will work with CCE of Suffolk County..

“This is a great day because this is really how government should work together,” said Town of Huntington Supervisor Chad Lupinacci (R). “We want to continue these great efforts and work along with the village and Cornell Cooperative Extension to help restore our water quality.”

An advisory board is working on solutions for the Coindre Hall boathouse that fell into disrepair years ago. Photo by Kimberly Brown

The Coindre Hall boathouse, located directly behind Coindre Hall, has been a staple to the Huntington community for decades. Looking over the Long Island Sound, the historic boathouse has remained empty and become run down over the years, causing residents to push for restoration.

Unfortunately, SuperStorm Sandy caused significant damage to the seawall of the boathouse. As a result, Suffolk County agreed with the Town of Huntington to allocate funds to the rehabilitation of the boathouse. 

However, the foundation was crumbling, and it was decided the seawall needed to be fixed first before making any other renovations. 

“This process has taken a number of years,” said Suffolk County Legislator Doc Spencer, founder of the advisory board for the boathouse. “We had gotten people with experience in restoring historic structures and our capital budget in the county now has funds to repair the seawall and move onto the boathouse itself.”

An advisory board is working on solutions for the Coindre Hall boathouse that fell into disrepair years ago. Photo by Kimberly Brown

Throughout the years after SuperStorm Sandy, teenagers have broken into the boathouse and painted graffiti. While outside there has been a significant amount of growth of weeds and underbrush surrounding the property. 

With community members demanding to know when the improvements to the boathouse will move forward, Spencer decided to establish a community advisory board. 

“Anything the advisory board advocates for will be what best serves the public,” said Garrett Chelius, chairperson of the advisory board. “But remember, we are just an advisory board, we don’t make policy, we just make recommendations to the legislature.”

Although the board was created a year and a half ago, any attempts to improve the property were immediately halted due to the pandemic. This summer, the board was able to advise on how to improve the boathouse once again. 

“The boathouse itself structurally needs a lot of work before it might literally fall down,” Chelius said. “The pier is currently disconnected from the seawall so it’s unusable and the seawall itself has some erosion issues.” 

Many of the other members are a part of the surrounding community and have taken a strong interest in bettering the property.

“One of the first things we got permission from the town parks department to do was to get rid of the weeds and other plants around the boathouse,” Spencer said. 

The Town of Huntington partnered with a company that used a bobcat to pull out several years’ worth of underbrush and invasive species, which began to pose a safety hazard.

A meeting by the advisory board was held to discuss the plans of removing the weeds in 2020, however, it wasn’t widely advertised due to COVID, and the meetings were held on Zoom. 

“That led to concern in the community because when they looked in and saw what was happening. They thought we were clearing the property and developing on it,” Spencer said. “But we can’t do that. We don’t have the power to. We were just cutting the weeds back so we can begin restoring the seawall. It was also a liability and neglect.”

With a confusion of what the boathouse’s future was to become, community members became distressed and wanted to halt any further construction. 

“There was a significant misunderstanding, throw social media in there and it becomes an uproar,” Spencer said. 

Photo by Kimberly Brown

The Department of Environmental Conservation was called in by community members, who asked to take a look at what was going on with the property. The bobcat was ordered to halt any further removal of the weeds.

The advisory board is meeting with the DEC on Aug. 4 to discuss the issue and make sure there is a collective understanding of the intentions the board has with the boathouse. 

According to Spencer, “The wetlands surrounding the boathouse are man-made, so the DEC is wondering if they even want to have authority over man-made wetlands. The advisory board is making efforts to keep in touch with the community regarding any further plans.”

The advisory board has compiled a few ideas to improve upon the dilapidated boathouse such as turning it into a place to cultivate shellfish, a place to dock first response vessels, or polishing it up to become a row house for boaters. 

“We are looking to revitalize not redevelop,” Spencer said.

For more information on how to participate in the revitalization of the Coindre boathouse, or attend one of their meetings, visit www.scnylegislature.us. 

Huntington Town Hall
Appointments still encouraged & will be prioritized 

Huntington Town Hall will open to walk-in visitors on Wednesday, July 21; the appointment-based visitor system implemented during the pandemic will remain in effect and appointment-based visits will be prioritized over walk-in visits. 

Supervisor Chad A. Lupinacci announced, “As of Wednesday, July 21, visitors to Town Hall may walk in without an appointment but we do encourage visitors to make an appointment with the Department you are planning to visit to make your trip to Town Hall as efficient as possible, as scheduled appointments will be prioritized over walk-ins.” 

The appointment-based visitor system was successfully implemented during the pandemic to manage Town Hall occupancy levels and workflow. 

To plan a visit to Town Hall, visitors may reach any department by calling (631) 351-3000 or visiting the Departments page to locate any Department’s contact information directly.

From left, Councilman Ed Smyth; Senior Bay Constable Jeff Kropp; Councilwoman Joan Cergol; Senior Harbormaster and Interim Maritime Services Director Fred Uvena; Supervisor Chad A. Lupinacci; Jackie Martin; Ed Carr, Commodore of GHCYBC; and members of GHCYBC. Photo from TOH

Huntington Town Supervisor Chad A. Lupinacci, Town officials, the Town Harbormaster, Bay Contables and members of the Greater Huntington Council of Yachting and Boating Clubs met at Mill Dam Marina in Halesite on Thursday, May 27 to promote boating safety for boaters and kayakers.

Saturday, May 22 kicked off Huntington’s Boating Safety Week heading into Memorial Day weekend. May, June, July and August are the busiest times for boating on Long Island.

“We expect high volume turnout on the water this year. Our Harbormaster’s Office averaged one rescue per day last season for boaters and kayakers,” said Supervisor Chad A. Lupinacci. “Kayakers: Don’t get out on the water before learning how to extricate yourself from an overturned kayak or how to get back into or on your kayak in deep water while you wait for rescue. Test yourself – not alone – but practice with a partner, sit in your kayak in shallow water, and turn the kayak over. Do not learn the hard way.”

“We Huntington residents are fortunate for our proximity to the waterfront, but that privilege comes responsibility. I want to thank the Greater Huntington Council of Yacht and Boating Clubs for helping Huntington meet one of our most important responsibilities: safety on the water. Each year the Boating Council sponsors an invaluable array of boating education classes for people of all ages and is a generous contributor of improvements to our waterfront and toward the well-being of boaters. Their public service is exemplary,” said Councilwoman Joan Cergol.

Councilman Ed Smyth reminded boaters that they can pick up spare lifejackets available at the Harbormaster’s office at the Halesite Marina, adding advice for kayakers, whom the Town has seen in increase in activity over the past year, “Kayakers should take note of offshore winds before getting out on the water — if you’re not careful, you may end up in Connecticut waters.”

Senior Harbormaster Fred Uvena warned that his team of Bay Constables are well-trained to spot intoxicated boaters and they are prepared to make BWI arrests. He warned against speeding and the dangerous wakes speeding boats create, also advising boaters to include baby aspirin in their first aid kits, and even ibuprofen as a precaution against anaphylactic shock from bee stings and other allergic responses that may occur over the waterways.

Boaters may call VHF Channel 16 for emergencies and VHF Channel 9 for pump-out service. The Harbormaster’s Office is located at 53 N. New York Avenue, Halesite, NY, open Monday through Saturday 8:30am to 4:30pm, office phone (631) 351-3255.

Jackie Martin of the Greater Huntington Council of Yachting and Boating Clubs reviewed highlights from Huntington’s 9th Annual Safe Boating Week, which was established after three children lost their lives in a preventable boating tragedy in 2012. She advised boaters, “you are responsible for your wake.”

The Harbormaster also reminded beachgoers of the reason dogs are not allowed on the sand at any beach, “Children play in the sand and you cannot clean up pet urine so please, respect your fellow residents and do not allow your dog on the sand, it’s unsanitary – keep them in the parking lot or on boardwalks.”

Supervisor Lupinacci also advised boaters and kayakers not to disturb the bird sanctuary at Hobart Beach, as landing boats and kayaks on the sand in the area of the preserve can have significant unintentional consequences for the endangered birds nesting there.

“Please heed the signs and fencing, stay away from the water and sand in the entire area located south of the parking lot during the birds’ mating season, which runs from early April through August.”

All trespassers in the sanctuary, including on foot, should be reported to the Department of Public Safety’s 24/7 emergency hotline at (631) 351-3234.

VIDEO: https://huntingtonny.granicus.com/MediaPlayer.php?view_id=4&clip_id=2531