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Newfield boys basketball opens summer league season with victory

by Bill Landon - July 7, 2024

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By Bill Landon

‘The Town of Brookhaven launched its summer league boys basketball season when the Newfield Wolverines took on the Blue Waves of Riverhead Thursday, June 27, at the Sachem East High School gymnasium. This season’s large school competition consists of 14 teams stretching along the North Shore from Half Hollow Hills West to Riverhead in a nine-game season that will conclude Aug. 1.

The Wolverines controlled the tempo of the game from the opening tipoff, keeping Riverhead off balance to win the game 57-40.

Newfield returns to the Sachem East High School gym Tuesday, July 9, when the team will face Ward Melville. Game time is slated for 8 p.m.

Suffolk County Legislature approves Water Quality Restoration Act, pending November referendum

by TBR Staff - July 7, 2024

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By Peter Sloniewsky

Suffolk County Legislature voted 15-2 Tuesday, June 25, to approve I.R. 1461 which will extend and revise the Suffolk County Drinking Water Protection Program. County Executive Ed Romaine (R) is expected to sign the measure into law July 8 for the mandatory referendum to be added to the November ballot.

This program, if passed via referendum, will establish the new Water Quality Restoration Fund supported by an additional sales and use tax of 1/8%. It is estimated the increase in sales tax collections will fund about $4 billion over 50 years to implement the county’s Subwatersheds Wastewater Plan.

In June and July 2023, a 10-7 vote along party lines doomed the measure from reaching that November’s ballot.

The 1.5 million people of Suffolk County currently rely on more than 380,000 cesspools and wastewater systems, including over 209,000 systems located in environmentally sensitive areas. This decentralized infrastructure has been a significant cause of nitrogen pollution across the county. In both surface-level and underground bodies of water, this nitrogen pollution causes harmful algae blooms, which can release toxins into fish, destroy ecosystems by consuming excessive oxygen in the water and cause a variety of conditions in exposed humans.

Passage of the referendum has economic as well as health benefits. Creating and maintaining new wastewater infrastructure will create a number of well-paying jobs for the county government. Additionally, the risks posed to businesses reliant on Suffolk County water cannot be understated, as well as the threats to beaches across Long Island.

The Water Quality Restoration Fund can be used for water quality improvement, such as enhancing and maintaining existing sewerage facilities, consolidating sewer districts and replacing and installing wastewater treatment systems in areas where sewers cannot be installed.

The language of the referendum itself is straightforward: “A yes vote ensures county funding to 2060 for clean water projects, improvements in drinking water, bays and harbors, and a no vote continues water quality degradation.”

Romaine claimed that passage of the referendum will be vital to fund sewer constructions, especially in less developed areas of the county, and the broad swaths of land with only cesspools installed. Romaine said that he “cannot emphasize enough the importance of this referendum” to address water contaminants.

Romaine was also the primary sponsor of the bill, which was co-sponsored by Legislators James Mazzarella (R-Mastic) and Ann Welker (D-Southampton).

Legislator Stephanie Bontempi (R-Centerport), who voted for the bill, claimed in a statement that while the bill gives the county the authority to establish longer-term funding for wastewater improvement projects, it also allows the county to apply for “much-needed” matching grant funding from the New York State and federal governments.

The final decision will rest in the hands of Suffolk County voters on Nov. 5.

Lawrence Aviation deal delayed in light of MTA uncertainty

by Mallie Jane Kim - July 6, 2024

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LA-700x467 — One of over a dozen derelict buildings that have been removed from the Lawrence Aviation Superfund site in Port Jefferson Station. File photo.

By Mallie Jane Kim

Plans to transform the Lawrence Aviation Superfund site in Port Jefferson Station hit a slowdown this week as a key contract deadline passed. New York’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority requested to extend its June 30 closing deadline to Dec. 31, in a letter addressed to the Suffolk County Landbank Corporation, which is managing the property.

All other terms of the contract, a $10 purchase of land suitable for building a railyard, should remain in effect, according to the letter.

“The MTA’s decision to delay the closing date is understandable given all of the pressing issues that MTA leadership is dealing with right now,” said Landbank board member Peter Scully. “The most important thing is that the community’s long-term vision for the future use of the Lawrence Aviation site is still alive.”

The delay may be related to MTA’s current focus on fallout surrounding Gov. Kathy Hochul’s (D) June 5 decision to pause congestion pricing for cars entering New York City’s central business district, which had been scheduled to begin at midnight June 30. That plan had been in the works for nearly two decades, but Hochul cited the currently difficult economic conditions as a reason to wait. She has said she did not want to add a financial burden to New Yorkers already struggling with soaring prices of groceries and utilities.

But the pause threw MTA into funding uncertainty. Funding from congestion pricing was designated to go toward critical improvements to subways, buses and rails, according to a congestion pricing information page on the MTA website. Now, $16.5 billion in projects will be deferred, and some projects already in progress have had to be stopped, MTA board members announced at a June 26 meeting.

For advocates of cleaner-energy rail, reserving the Lawrence Aviation space is an opportunity to allow for infrastructure that can make possible future upgrades to the Port Jefferson Branch of the Long Island Rail Road. That line currently runs on diesel.

“Acquiring this property is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” said Three Village Community Trust President Herb Mones, referring to the fact that it is unusual to find an appropriately-sized space available on Long Island for a railyard. “For MTA not to pursue it full throttle would be really unfortunate.”

The contract previously hinged on an easement agreement with New York’s Department of Transportation that would allow a future railyard to cross a straight line of DOT property that currently hosts the Setauket-Port Jefferson Station Greenway trail. In the proposed site plan, the Greenway trail would be adjusted to loop around a railyard once MTA decided to build one — disturbing the flow of any potential highway there.

There was no word whether those negotiations had yet been ironed out.

Mones, whose trust oversees the nonprofit that maintains the biking and walking trail, called the idea of someday replacing it with a four-lane highway “preposterous.”

Miller Place Panthers boys soccer prevails in summer league opener

by Bill Landon - July 4, 2024

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WJL_6293 — Miller Place wins their summer league season opener against Mattituck. Photo by Bill Landon

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By Bill Landon

Twelve teams comprise the Town of Brookhaven boys soccer summer league in the small school varsity division which kicked off its season Monday, July 1. There will be nine games through July 29.

The Panthers of Miller Place faced Mattituck at Diamond in The Pines Park in Coram where the Tuckers struggled to gain traction and trailed 2-0 at the halftime break. Miller Place put the game out of reach by rattling off five more unanswered goals in the second half to win the game 7-0.

Miller Place retook the field when the Panthers faced crosstown rival Mount Sinai July 3 at The Wedge in Mount Sinai, but the result was not available by press time.

Port Jeff AHEPA chapter holds 3rd annual car show

by TBR Staff - July 4, 2024

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By Aidan Johnson

The Port Jefferson chapter of the American Hellenic Educational Progressive Association, also known as AHEPA, held its 3rd annual car show Saturday, June 29, at the Greek Orthodox Church of the Assumption, 430 Sheep Pasture Road, in Port Jefferson.

George Kallas, president of AHEPA, estimated that there were about 100 cars in attendance, including a red 1931 Ford that won first place.

The proceeds of the car show will be donated to the Greek Orthodox Church of the Assumption, AHEPA Service Dogs for Warriors, and AGAPE Meals for Kids, a Long Island organization that addresses childhood food insecurity and hunger.

During the car show, Brookhaven Town Councilmember Jonathan Kornreich (D-Stony Brook) presented the chapter of AHEPA with a certificate of congratulations, expressing his appreciation for the organization for everything it has done for Greek Americans, along with the children of the community by donating to AGAPE Meals for Kids.

Honoring Independence Day

by TBR Staff - July 4, 2024

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american-flag-2144392_640 — Pixabay photo.

By Rich Acritelli

It was 248 years ago when men such as George Washington, John Adams and Benjamin Franklin declared their intention of working toward a permanent separation from the British Empire. After years of protesting “no taxation without representation,” Thomas Jefferson was given the task of writing the Declaration of Independence — a declaration against King George III with the intention of creating a new nation.

Once written, this document had to be signed before it could be delivered to the king. Patriots like William Floyd, who lived among loyalists, became one of two signers of the declaration from Long Island. Floyd ran a prosperous farm in Mastic. Entering local and state politics, he represented this part of Long Island in the First and Second Continental Congress and later became a general in the Suffolk County militia. Although not as well known, Francis Lewis was the second Long Islander to add his signature to the Declaration of Independence.

Once the war moved onto Long Island, Floyd was a targeted patriot who was forced to move his family to Philadelphia. From the British takeover of Long Island to the Treaty of Paris in 1783, Floyd experienced both the difficulties and triumphs of this conflict. He later served in the First Congress in 1789, which carried out the earliest functions of the Constitution and saw the election of President George Washington. Today, thousands of people visit the 613-acre William Floyd Estate — with its impressive Old Mastic House — part of the Fire Island National Seashore in Mastic Beach.

Setauket native Benjamin Tallmadge was only 22 in 1776. While attending Yale University, Tallmadge became friends with Nathan Hale. After the battles of Lexington, Concord and Bunker Hill, Tallmadge enlisted as a lieutenant in a Connecticut regiment in the Continental Army. Like Floyd, Tallmadge experienced the dark moments of the Revolutionary War that saw the Continental Army on the brink of defeat by the British.

Culper Spy Ring

Rising in rank, Tallmadge served in the cavalry, fought in the battles of Brandywine and Germantown, and by 1778 Washington utilized him to establish an intelligence network. The Culper Spy Ring collected information on the actions of the British in New York City, sent it to Setauket and later guided it across the Long Island Sound to Tallmadge in Fairfield, Connecticut. Tallmadge’s work with the Setauket spy ring increasingly targeted British operations on Long Island through his contacts in this North Shore loyalist area.

This successful operation was aided by Tallmadge’s friends Abraham Woodhull and Caleb Brewster to prevent the British from attacking the 6,000 French soldiers expected to land at Newport, Rhode Island. The British were given incorrect information that Washington intended to attack New York City, creating a safe passage for these allied soldiers. Tallmadge also discovered the treachery of Gen. Benedict Arnold and the failed British capture of the West Point military base on the Hudson River.

The Culper Spy Ring was supported by Setauket tavern owner Austin Roe, who often traveled to Manhattan to purchase supplies for his business. As a secret patriot courier collecting enemy intelligence, Roe worked with Anna Strong, who defied the British and helped ensure it was safe for patriot whaleboats to land near Setauket Harbor to transport this information back to Tallmadge in Connecticut, where it was eventually read by Washington.

Throughout the war, Tallmadge supported activities to help the Americans win their independence and was promoted to lieutenant colonel and remained in Connecticut, where he later became a Federalist Party representative in Congress from 1801 to 1817. Millions of television watchers enjoyed the AMC series “Turn” that chronicled the patriotic and dangerous activities that took place on Long Island. Characters such as Floyd and Tallmadge helped ensure the permanent freedom of the patriots who fought in order to bring the meaning of the Declaration of Independence to the new nation.

This Fourth of July, may we never forget the past, present and future importance of service to always protect and preserve the ideals of America.

Rocky Point celebrates 50th commencement ceremony

by Press Release - July 3, 2024

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RP2 — Rocky Point High School Commencement Day photos. Photos courtesy of Rocky Point school district.

Members of Rocky Point High School’s Class of 2024 began the next stage of their lives at the district’s annual commencement ceremony on Wednesday, June 26. As the students proudly walked onto the school’s football field, the sounds of “Pomp and Circumstance” greeted them. The ceremony began with a welcome from Principal James Moeller, who thanked administrators, board of education members, educators, parents and family members for their collective guidance and support along the students’ path to success.

Student Renee Ortiz sang “The Star-Spangled Banner,” accompanied by the high school band conducted by Amy Schecher. This was followed by Exhortation Speaker Parker Matzen, who shared the history and lessons he learned along with his peers. Moeller then expressed his pride in the Class of 2024, applauding their achievements in school and in the community. He tied Dr. Seuss’ book, “Oh, the Places You’ll Go,” with the steps the students took to get to this point, sharing memories of serving as the middle school principal while they were there. He highlighted the inaugural Unified Basketball team as a true showing of Rocky Point community and pride, and spotlighted other athletic teams, academic accomplishments and achievements in the arts.

Superintendent of Schools Scott O’Brien spoke next, sharing the symbolism of Rocky Point’s mascot — the eagle. He noted that eagles are not just symbols of strength and freedom but also share valuable lessons about perseverance, growing stronger and more confident until they fly one day effortlessly across the sky. He stated that, just like Rocky Point’s esteemed mascot, the students have embodied resilience, strength and grace throughout their educational journey in Rocky Point.

Valedictorian Isabella Rooney and salutatorian Sofia Haviland each addressed their fellow classmates, sharing words of remembrance from their time spent in Rocky Point, as well as encouragement for their peers’ new journey ahead.

Board of Education President Jessica Ward then officially presented the candidates for graduation to all those in attendance.

After finishing 9th in racewalking, Port Jeff’s Ray sets sights on 2028 Olympics

by Daniel Dunaief - July 3, 2024

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By Daniel Dunaief

At shorter distances, she can walk faster than some people can run in a sport she only entered over two years ago. Driven to succeed, Ruby Ray competed on a national stage this past weekend, trying for a spot on the U.S. Olympic Team heading to Paris next month in the 20 kilometer (or 12.4 mile) racewalk.

A graduate of Earl L. Vandermeulen High School in Port Jefferson, Ray, 19, didn’t make the team, finishing in 9th place at the Oregon trials on Saturday, with a time of one hour, 54 minutes and 15 seconds. That is an average of 9 minutes, 13 seconds per mile for the entire race.

Ray, who had swollen glands and a fever from a cold the morning of the competition, made it through the race, rising as high as fifth place at the 2500 meter mark before dropping back to ninth.

“It was a wonderful experience competing in person with the greatest athletes in the United States,” said Ray. “I was a little disappointed with my performance.”

While her coach Gary Westerfield, founder of WalkUSA, was also hoping for a better time, he appreciated her effort under difficult conditions.

“I give her a lot of credit,” said Westerfield. “She could have dropped out.”

Westerfield expects Ray, who is a rising sophomore at St. John’s University, to build on this experience as she takes aim at the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles.

A life-changing request

Ray followed an unconventional path to the Olympic Trials.

An aspiring field hockey player, Ray was disappointed when the school no longer competed in the sport. Ray switched to Track and Field.

One day when Ray was in her junior year, Brian Snow, the head coach of the women’s varsity Track and Field team, asked if anyone would be willing to try race walking as a way to earn more points for the team.

After watching a video of a sport that receives considerably more attention in places like Ecuador, Mexico and China than it does in the United States, the five-foot, eight-inch Ray agreed to give it a try, race walking up and down the hallway of the school, impressing Snow enough to encourage her to prepare to compete in high school races.

“That first year, she did really well,” said Snow. “She really helped the team. She was able to score points in important meets.”

Ray was named the Athlete of the Year in 2022 by USA Track and Field in racewalking for competitors under 20.

Snow appreciated not only how much she improved, but also her willingness to step up for the school.

“If we needed someone in a relay, she would do it,” said Snow.

The track coach recalled how Ray fainted during the school day. She went to the hospital to get checked out and then returned for the rest of the day. Ray volunteered to participate in the meet, but Snow opted against allowing her to race.

“She cheered on the team,” he said. “She put the team first. Her teammates always knew she was destined for greater things.”

In her first year of track, Ray was race walking at an event. Westerfield, a track official at the competition who is an accomplished racewalker and coach, asked her parents if he could start working with her.

Intense focus

An accomplished race walker who has only been in the field for two years, Ray brings a discipline and focus to a wide range of challenges.

Like her mother Madeleine Kristoffersson, who is an accomplished opera singer, Ray has put her vocal skills to work, joining the church at St. John’s as a cantor.

Ray has dual citizenship between the United States and Sweden, where her mother was born and raised.

Ray was also an equestrian. When COVID-19 shut down some of the events, she poured her energy into track.

When Ray started to compete in race walking, her mother knew about the event.

“In Sweden, that is a huge sport,” she said. “I have seen this from childhood and knew what it was. She looked like the people I had seen walking” in races.

Ray has received considerable help and encouragement from her parents. She trains twice a week with Westerfield. On the other days, her mother has gone with her to the track, recognizing when her daughter needs water or when she’s having a tough day.

“I live and breathe this with her,” said Kristoffersson, who traveled with Ray to Oregon for the Olympic trials.

A country commitment

For Ray and her parents, representing the country at the Olympics would be a significant honor.

Being the parent of an Olympian “would be the most wonderful experience I could ever have had,” said John Ray, Ruby’s father, who has a law practice in Miller Place. “I love my country. She grew up to love her country. She feels like she’s representing Port Jefferson and Long Island in the trials.”

Ray’s father, who suggests his singing skills are limited to the shower, has his own athletic pedigree, having played lacrosse for the last 58 years, including as a goalie on teams with men considerably younger than he.

Ray herself felt like being a part of the Olympics would be “incredible” and that she would be representing Long Island, Port Jefferson, Suffolk County, and “all the things I love. I would be showcasing it off to the world in the Olympics.”

In addition to contributing to her country with her athletic skills, Ray also joined the Reserve Officers’ Training Corp at St. John’s in the Army Rangers Program.

“My family has a long history in the military,” said Ray. “It’s a great honor to fight for your country and then come back and your family and county are proud of you.”

Ray regularly wakes up at 4:30 am for Ranger training. She has scars on her knees from crawling across the ground and bruises on her back from hiking with a heavy backpack.

“You have to stay dedicated,” she said. “You have to be willing to do what is required.”

She has had to sacrifice some time with friends, while avoiding temptations that might derail her athletic or academic goals as well as her ROTC training.

Ray is in the English Honors program at St. John’s, where she has a full scholarship.

While Ray is talented and focused, she shared a few guilty pleasures, which include dark chocolate Reese’s peanut butter cups, ice cream and cheesy popcorn.

Ray has three goals in mind. She’d like to make the Olympic team in 2028 and win a gold medal in Los Angeles, she’d like to make the track team at St. John’s, likely competing in the 5K running race, and she’d like to join the Judge Advocate General.

“I want to help people buried under the system,” said Ray, who participates in her father’s pro bono work. “My dad puts his heart into his effort and I want to do the same, especially in the military for people who fought for our country and deserve support.”

People who have known Ray for years wouldn’t bet against this determined teenager.

Ray will “do some amazing things in her life, regardless of what happens with race walking,” said Snow.

Ray reflected positively on her experience in Oregon.

“I was just astonished by the fact that we were there” at the trials, she said. “This new experience has given me hope to grow stronger.”

Community pushes for stricter penalties amid rise of hit-and-runs

by Samantha Rutt - June 30, 2024

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imagejpeg_0 Nicks Law PR photo — Senator Murray and Assemblyman Smith introduced “Nick’s Law” in 2023 (S6051/A6520) which will increase penalties for those convicted of leaving the scene of an accident involving a death. Photo courtesy Office of Dean Murray

By Samantha Rutt

A hit-and-run incident in Patchogue March 2023, which claimed the life of 25-year-old Nicholas Puzio, has spurred local leaders into action. Puzio, a resident of Farmingville, was tragically struck by two separate vehicles while crossing Route 112. Both drivers fled the scene, leaving him to die.

Hit-and-run collisions are those in which at least one person involved in a crash flees the scene before offering any, or sufficient, information or aid to the other involved person or fails to properly report the crash. Hit-and-run violations – which are criminal offenses – can create additional burdens for law enforcement and for families looking for remediation as well as medical and insurance support.

Although Long Island roads are among the deadliest, few drivers involved in crashes that kill pedestrians or cyclists face criminal charges. That is, unless they are caught after fleeing the scene, or it can be proven they were drunk, under the influence of drugs or speeding.

Walk Safe Long Island, a collaborative of health and transportation safety educators from Nassau and Suffolk counties, says over the past three years in Nassau and Suffolk counties, 515 people have been hit and injured while walking, jogging or biking.

Pedestrian safety continues to be a serious concern. The Institute for Traffic Safety Management & Research states that from 2016 to 2020, pedestrians accounted for almost one quarter of the fatalities on New York’s roadways.

According to information from the National Center for Health Statistics, Long Island averages 18.2 roadway deaths per month. However, in the summer months this number trends upward as it nearly doubled, reaching 31 in August of last year.

In response, state Sen. Dean Murray (R-East Patchogue) and Assemblyman Doug Smith (R-Holbrook) introduced “Nick’s Law” in 2023. The proposed legislation aims to increase penalties for those convicted of leaving the scene of an incident involving a death. The move comes in the wake of a lenient six-month sentence handed down to one of the drivers involved in Puzio’s death, highlighting the inadequacies of current laws.

“Two drivers made reckless choices and left my son dying in the street. Who does that? Does anyone have regard for human life? The laws in New York State are far too lenient,” Puzio’s mother, Terry Puzio, voiced her anguish and frustration in a statement.

Under current laws, individuals caught fleeing the scene of a fatal incident face a Class D felony and a fine of up to $5,000. “Nick’s Law” would elevate the crime to a Class B felony with a fine of $30,000. This increase in penalties is aimed at deterring drivers from fleeing the scene to avoid harsher consequences for other offenses such as driving under the influence.

The need for this legislation is represented by the alarming statistics. According to multiple sources, in 2023, Suffolk County alone witnessed 16 fatal hit-and-run incidents. This year, multiple similar incidents have already occurred, including the recent death of 22-year-old volunteer firefighter Christopher Hlavaty in East Patchogue.

Hlavaty’s mother, Janine Hlavaty, shared her desire for the bill’s passage in a statement, saying, “My hope for the passage of ‘Nick’s Law’ is that people will think twice before leaving the scene of these horrific, life-altering accidents.”

The push for “Nick’s Law” has garnered support from local lawmakers and officials who have emphasized the importance of holding hit-and-run drivers accountable.

“When people can face lighter sentences if they are involved in an accident while drunk or on drugs by leaving an injured person in the road, there is a clear benefit to them to run and hide. That is unacceptable and it must be changed as soon as possible,” state Sen. Mario Mattera (R-St. James) said in a statement.

The community’s outcry and the introduction of “Nick’s Law” showcases a collective demand for justice and safety on the roads. For now, the community awaits legislative action, hoping that “Nick’s Law” will bring about the change to deter future hit-and-run tragedies and provide justice for those who have lost their lives on the roads of Long Island.

Valentin Staller addresses Jefferson Plaza proposal at PJS/T civic meeting

by TBR Staff - June 28, 2024

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By Sabrina Artusa

Port Jefferson Station/Terryville Civic Association reviewed a potential plan by Staller Associates to redevelop the Jefferson Plaza on Route 112 at the civic’s June 20 meeting.

The civic invited Valentin Staller, vice president of Staller Associates, to answer questions regarding the proposed redevelopment.

Staller Associates already owns a residential property in Farmingdale and submitted a proposal to rebuild Jefferson Plaza in 2021. Staller hopes to rezone the area to accommodate the changes, which also include a public plaza, a restaurant and a health club.

“We have been harboring our own personal investment capital. We want to do it right here in Port Jefferson Station and we want to do it in a way that will stimulate new redevelopment” Staller said. “I see the potential for something far greater. This is in our back door, this is important to us.”

Given the dissatisfaction with the current state of the property under Staller Associates’ ownership, some residents were doubtful that Staller would be able to deliver on their promise to restore the property in an engaging manner.

“How can we trust you to know that you are going to keep up on this new building that is coming in?” said one civic attendee, citing the tenants that left the plaza under Staller Associates’ ownership.

“The tenants that left, including Rite Aid and Teachers Federal Credit Union, left through no fault of Staller Associates,” Staller said, adding that Rite Aid closed stores across the county. In regards to crime, Staller said it has been a prevailing issue for years, and that “112 has unfortunately seen a slide.”

Others welcome the prospect of revitalizing the plaza, but want to ensure that the development doesn’t encroach on the community’s wishes.

“We are being asked to take on potentially as much as three times the density of any multifamily development that has ever been constructed in the Town of Brookhaven and in return we would like to have something we can appreciate, respect and digest in this community whether it is traffic, whether it is safety, [or] a sense of place,” civic president Ira Costell said.

After previous discussions with Costell, councilmembers, county officials and others, Staller Associates agreed to a variety of covenants and alterations, including height limitations, the addition of a green buffer and the forfeit of 20 loft apartment units, which Staller said have proven most profitable.

Residential building

Further, some members were uncertain that their community would even be able to benefit from the 280-unit building. Housing in Long Island is a long-debated and highly relevant issue — one that is inextricably tied with the subject of overdevelopment.

“It is important to have growth in this community. Kids can’t go out of college and find an apartment to live in — they can’t afford it,” said another attendee, who went on to give her approval of the proposal.

While there is a pressing need for housing at reasonable prices, long-time residents fear the loss of the suburban communities they love. As a result, residents want to be certain that if housing developments are built, they will be put to good use.

“It is extremely difficult to find housing in this area. We live in an extremely supply constrained area,” Staller said. In response, residents noted that some apartment buildings remain unfilled.

Staller didn’t announce the prices of the units, saying that it will be determined as a function of supply and demand. Though 20% of the units will be dedicated to affordable housing, these units will be given to adults with intellectual or developmental disabilities, as they have done at their Farmingdale property.

The necessity of alleviating the housing demand remains, chafing against efforts to preserve the character of the community.

“They don’t want towering, oppressive, block-swallowing buildings. People want to live in a pleasant place.” said Holly Fils-Aime, vice president of the Port Jefferson Civic Association.

More than housing

In addition to the residential units, Staller Associates intends to add other businesses, making the project “mixed use”. The first floor will be open to the public, as it will be dedicated to business.

“What the four stories allow us to do is create those public-facing amenities,” Staller said. “At the end of the day a critical mass of apartments is necessary to revitalize the 112 corridor. This has been the case in hamlets and villages across Long Island.”

Costell is hopeful that the development will progress in a manner that benefits both parties. He also mentioned that as Staller Associates enters “the beginning of the final stage” he looks forward to continuing the dialogue between Staller Associates, the town and the civic association. The building architecture and layout have not been finalized yet and Staller said they are still open to discussion during the site-planning process.

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