Supervisor Dan Panico (center) thanked Brookhaven’s crew before they began clearing a blighted Middle Island property, for open space preservation. Courtesy TOB Public Information Ofiice
On Sept. 24, Supervisor Dan Panico was on site to thank the Town of Brookhaven’s demolition crew as they prepared to take down a blighted house and cottage in Middle Island. This effort clears the way for the preservation of 3.5 acres of critical open space. The Town acquired the parcel along East Bartlett Road to protect it from future development and to preserve its natural state. The land is located on the boundary between the Core of the Central Pine Barrens and the Compatible Growth Area.
This heavily wooded parcel features a quarter-acre pond, rolling topography and old-growth woodlands, making it a vital component of the local ecosystem. “In Brookhaven, we have proven that a government can be effective at preservation and the protection of our environment. This latest accomplishment is in a truly beautiful and serene part of our town, containing substantial preserved open space acreage and pine barrens,” said Brookhaven Town Supervisor Dan Panico.
This area serves as a natural wildlife sanctuary, home to a myriad of species. It is particularly important for migratory frogs including spring peepers, gray tree frogs and wood frogs which utilize the pond for breeding in the spring months. “In Brookhaven, our mission is to preserve where it makes sense and redevelop where appropriate. We have struck a wonderful balance and continue to achieve for our environment and economy on a daily basis,” commented Brookhaven Town Councilman Michael Loguercio.
In recent years, the Town has made significant strides in wildlife conservation. A wildlife tunnel was installed to connect the subject property to a wetland complex on the east side of the road. This tunnel is regularly used by various wildlife species including amphibians, mammals and birds, allowing them to safely cross the roadway. This initiative has virtually eliminated most roadkill in the area, demonstrating the Town’s commitment to environmental stewardship.
The removal of structures on the parcel will enable disturbed areas to return to their natural habitat while preserving the serene setting for future generations to enjoy.
Three-dimensional rendering of the proposed redevelopment project at Jefferson Plaza. Graphic courtesy Valentin Staller
By Sabrina Artusa
Brookhaven Town Board approved the long-contested Staller Associates rezoning application for the Jefferson Plaza property in Port Jefferson Station Sept. 26. It was a crucial step signifying the progression of Staller’s plan to repurpose the plaza into a residential property along with commercial usage.
Staller Associates is an Islandia-based privately-held real estate company engaged in the development, ownership and management of commercial and residential real estate on Long Island.
Councilmember Jonathan Kornreich (D-Stony Brook) announced the approval of the zone change from J2 Business to Commercial Redevelopment District, thus allowing Staller to begin planning for the apartments building.
Jefferson Plaza in its current state. File photo
Brookhaven residents have been divided over the prospect of this project. Some are unhappy with certain details, such as design, and desire more deliberation before making what they view as a hasty decision to rezone.
“We are not saying this project won’t be good for the community … that’s a blighted shopping center,” said Lou Antoniello, treasurer of Port Jefferson Station/Terryville Civic Association, during the public hearing. “This project is not ready to be approved tonight. I don’t understand the rush to push this thing through.”
Others stand wholly against developing more housing complexes and rezoning, while some are ardent proponents of revitalizing the largely unused plaza.
Joseph Stallone spoke on behalf of the Long Island Builders Institute. “We have some of the best schools in the country and we are sending our young minds to North Carolina and Florida and Virginia,” he said. “As someone who grew up here, I would like to stay here and I would love to stay at a development like the one Staller has proposed.”
Ira Costell, president of PJSTCA, had hoped that the developer would have involved the public more throughout the process, instead of just on a rudimentary level in the early phases of the process. He said that, in the beginning, he and his organization met with Staller, but then went almost two years without direct contact.
“We want to find a way to get behind this proposal, but we find that the process really failed us,” he said.
The CRD zoning code was amended in 2020, and this new version is at the root of resident apprehension. CRD zones are “designed to achieve economically beneficial and socially desirable redevelopment which is more creative and imaginative in its land use,” the Brookhaven Town Code reads.
The CRD label dictates that “civic space and recreational areas, including squares, private plaza, greens and public parks, shall be intermixed throughout the development for social activity, recreation and visual enjoyment.”
Indeed, Staller Associates intends to integrate a public plaza, a health club and a restaurant into the plaza in addition to the residential complex in this corridor off Route 112.
Staller has previously announced that 20% of the units will be used only for adults with intellectual or developmental disabilities. Kornreich said that Staller will likely enter into a form of partnership with a special-needs housing advocacy group to do so. The realty business has a property in Farmingdale, where it administer the same policy.
Aesthetic cohesion is a major area of concern for Brookhaven residents who say that the influx of apartment buildings will make Port Jefferson Station lack a consistent architectural theme. To many, this rezoning increases the threat of overdevelopment.
Kornreich assured those present that the appearance of the buildings is not set in stone. “A lot of these issues that were brought up by people at the [PJS/T] civic association — things related to the density, things related to the site, layout things related to the architecture — all these things will be worked out later in planning,” he said.
“The site plan has not been drawn up yet in that level of detail” he said in regard to concerns over fire safety, which he said will be worked out later in the process.
Capital projects fund review of East Beach bluff stabilization shows an estimated $800,000 budget overspend. Photo by Lynn Hallarman
By Lynn Hallarman
The final report reviewing the capital projects fund was presented to the public by CPA firm, PKF O’Connor Davies of Hauppauge, at the Village of Port Jefferson Board of Trustees Sept. 25 meeting, ending a year of uncertainty over the financial condition of the fund.
The most significant conclusion was an estimated $1.27 million in overspending on capital projects done without an identified funding source. The largest overage was the East Beach bluff stabilization project of about $800,000.
Why the review was done
One year ago, concerns were raised by then newly-appointed village treasurer, Stephen Gaffga, about the bookkeeping practices that track the village’s capital projects fund. This prompted village officials to hire PKF O’Connor Davies to give a full historical accounting of the fund’s financial recordkeeping. The review spanned from May 2016 to May 2023.
“I noticed shortly after starting my position as treasurer in September of 2023 that our capital projects fund looked like every expense account had a negative balance, which immediately raised red flags for me,” Gaffga said in an interview with TBR News Media.
Gaffga noted that best practices recommended by the Office of the New York State Comptroller were not being followed, making it difficult to track how money was being spent on individual projects.
Ideally a capital project fund ledger should give a granular view of how money flows though different projects and meticulously accounts for funding and payments related to each project, according to the OSC.
The village additionally enlisted Charlene Kagel, CPA — former commissioner of finance for the Town of Brookhaven and ex-Southampton village administrator — as an expert municipal finance consultant to assist the village as it corrects bookkeeping practices to comply with state guidelines.
Reports findings
According to PKF O’Connor Davies, the purpose of the capital projects fund review was to identify which projects have been funded, which have been overspent and what grant funds for specific projects have not yet been reimbursed to the village.
The report provided a clearer picture of the capital fund financial state, especially addressing the overall negative balance observed a year ago. PKF detailed 26 projects as having a deficit fund balance.
Reviewers also noted that “recordkeeping varied by project” — or in other words, the bookkeeping lacked a consistent approach across the ledgers.
Overall, the review revealed an $8.1 million total deficit as of May 31, 2023. “Most of this deficit, an estimated $5 million, is due to grants expected but not yet received by the village,” Gaffga said.
The estimated $1.27 million shortfall comes from spending on a few large projects, most of which, $800,000, is attributed to the bluff stabilization project.
Gaffga explained that the additional spending on the bluff project occurred incrementally over several years starting in 2017, with board members approving these expenses without first identifying a funding source.
Recommendations
Recommendations to the village boil down to one improvement: Follow bookkeeping guidance outlined by the OSC.
The report also identifies the absence of a long-term capital projects fund plan for the village.
Kagel told TBR that an excellent capital plan should include a list of proposed projects by department heads and for municipalities to assign each project a “priority ranking” year by year.
“The board ranks what projects are most important and then figures out how they are going to pay for it,” she said.
Gaffga added, “There will need to be an identified funding source to correct that $1.27 million deficit in the capital fund.”
Gaffga pointed out, however, that this amount is an unaudited estimation. The village has hired a new accounting firm, R.S. Abrams & Co. of Islandia, to finalize the numbers cited in the report before village officials will move forward with a financial plan to reimburse the capital projects fund, as required by municipal law.
“Bottom line, it’s just bad bookkeeping. The village didn’t follow the recommended practice and accounting procedures that are set forth by the state and this is what happens when you don’t,” Kagel said.
Moving forward
The treasurer for a municipality is the custodian of all capital funds, responsible for tracking the finances of each project and developing financial reports for the board and the public.
“At the same time, the board is ultimately responsible for the oversight of the village financials,” Kagel said. “It’s pretty clear that municipalities aren’t supposed to overspend their budget, according to general municipal law in New York State.”
“Stephen [Gaffga] has implemented an OSC best practice, tracking each project financial detail to be sent to the board monthly, so the board can say, ‘Hey, how come we’re in the red on this project?’” she said.
“I’m glad we are now through the most difficult part of the capital projects fund review process and we now know exactly where the village stands,” Mayor Lauren Sheprow said in an email statement to TBR News Media.
“Now the village can proceed to develop a truly transparent capital project plan with guidance from our new Budget and Finance Committee and our incredible treasurer, Stephen Gaffga,” she added.
The full report can be viewed on the Village of Port Jefferson website at www.portjeff.com, and the next Board of Trustees meeting will be held on Oct. 9, as a work session.
In the last 18 months, Stony Brook University has generated positive headlines for a host of wins, from receiving a record donation from the Simons Foundation to climbing academic rankings to winning the bidding for a climate solutions center on Governors Island.
This year, those gains not only helped attract a larger applicant pool, but also led to a record high enrollment for first-year students in the university’s 67 year history. The total number of undergraduates is also at a record high of 18,263, exceeding the previous high of 18,010 in the fall of 2010.
The downstate flagship university received about 55,000 applications for first year students, with an acceptance rate of about 49%.
“Stony Brook has now become a premier destination for so many students” in the state, country and world, said Richard Beatty, Senior Associate Provost for Enrollment Management. The increasing applicants and the largest ever class size of 4,024 students reflects the “fruit of all the work the campus has been doing.”
Stony Brook ranked 58th in the 2025 US News and World Report rankings this week, up from 93 in 2022. Stony Brook was also ranked the top public university in New York.
Just over half of the first-year students, or 50.5%, are women, while 49.5% are men. These statistics don’t include people who chose not to disclose their gender.
The university didn’t change its admissions standards to accept this larger class.
“We had the same academic quality as in previous years,” said Beatty, as each student has had high quality experience inside and outside the classroom.
Additionally, for the class entering its second year this fall, Stony Brook had a 90% retention rate, which is also an all-time high. The university typically loses 11 or 12% of students from the first to the second year.
“We want the student [who matriculate at Stony Brook] to graduate with us and we want them to graduate in a timely manner,” said Beatty.
New hires
Recognizing the increased interest in attending Stony Brook from in and out of state, the university started hiring additional staff to provide students with the same level of education and university services.
The ratio of faculty to students “didn’t change that much” because of the university’s staffing efforts, Beatty said. “We are keeping the educational quality the same even though we have a larger [freshman] class.”
The enrollment of students who identify as Black and LatinX also increased, even as universities such as Harvard College and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology have experienced a decline in such enrollments.
The first-year class at Stony Brook includes 433 people who identify as black, which is an increase of 19% over the total from the previous year and represents about 10.7% of the incoming class.
LatinX, meanwhile, rose 28% to 633 this year from 496 in the previous year.
SBU Interim President Richard McCormick. File photo
“Stony Brook today exemplifies dramatically all the most important developments in modern American higher education – a growing and highly diverse student body, an expanding research enterprise, and research achievements that are contributing mightily to the economy and society,” Interim President Richard L. McCormick said in a statement.
While the number of foreign students increased over last year, the total number has still not recovered to its 2019 level, prior to the pandemic.
Stony Brook leads the SUNY system in the highest number of Educational Opportunity Program applications. The state-funded program provides financial support to New York students who have financial and academic barriers, helping them attend and graduate from a SUNY college.
Storm challenges
At the same time that the university welcomed its largest ever first year class, the campus and the area endured a sudden and violent storm that not only damaged the historic Stony Brook Grist Mill, but also made some dormitories uninhabitable.
“It was an unbelievable concerted effort throughout campus” to find places for students amid the clean up, said Beatty. “The housing team came up with solutions” that included housing some students in hotels.
Two of the residence halls, Ammann and Gray, are still undergoing repairs, although the university has found places for its students.
The university has 52 sophomores who are living at an off-campus hotel, where they are expected to remain through the semester. They should be able to return to campus in the spring.
Expanded food services
The Starbucks in SBU’s Melville Library. Courtesy facebook.com/SBUDining
Amid higher enrollment, Stony Brook expanded the hours for dining facilities this year, compared with last year.
Starbucks opened at the Melville Library with expanded hours. The foods trucks have a consistent schedule Monday through Friday and Stony Brook added a Nathan’s Famous truck to the food truck fleet.
The university launched new franchises and dining concepts this fall, such as Popeyes, Carvel and Iron Waffles.
Academically, Stony Brook has had a wide range of potential interests from its incoming students. Beyond the typical strengths in physics and math, the university also experienced a growth in the numbers of students applying for journalism, political science and economics.
“We ended up not being over enrolled in any of our programs,” Beatty said.
McCormick suggested the increased interest in the school reflects recent higher visibility.
“This historic enrollment of first-year students is a testament to Stony Brook University’s steadfast commitment to providing an exceptional educational experience and its rise in reputation as one of the nation’s most prominent public flagship research universities,” McCormick said in a statement.
The State University of New York schools have seen an increase overall in the number of applicants.
Stony Brook’s admissions process, which remains test optional for standardized tests like the SAT and the ACT, has become considerably more holistic.
The admissions committee looks beyond the grade point average or whatever test scores candidates submit, while weighing the student achievement in the context of the options available at their high schools.
The larger class size amid a greater interest in the school also has positive implications for the local economy and for the community.
More students shop at stores and restaurants and also contribute to extracurricular activities such as theatrical performances and to community service projects.
These students, who come from all over the world, add to the diversity of the area, start new clubs and present the findings of their own research while attending college, Beatty added.
As for future applications and class sizes, school officials anticipate greater numbers of interested students in the coming years.
“We expect applications to continue to rise,” said Beatty.
Brookhaven Town Highway Superintendent Daniel P. Losquadro and Councilmember Jonathan Kornreich have announced the completion of two paving projects in Port Jefferson Station.
In the first project, crews completed drainage maintenance and replaced damaged concrete aprons and Belgium block curbing prior to resurfacing Ashley Court, Barraud Drive, Casey Lane, Iowa Avenue, New Jersey Avenue, and Wisconsin Avenue. The total cost for this paving project was approximately $227,000. The second project included the resurfacing of Gladysz Way at a cost of approximately $48,000.
“Both of these paving projects had been on my radar for some time,” said Superintendent Losquadro. “The roads that were resurfaced are now safer and smoother for residents, motorists, bicyclists and pedestrians.”
Councilmember Kornreich said, “Thank you, Superintendent Dan Losquadro, for making our roads smoother and our community safer!”
Brookhaven Town Highway Superintendent Losquadro, Councilwoman Bo Brookhaven Town Highway Superintendent Daniel P. Losquadro and Councilwoman Jane Bonner have announced the resurfacing of Hawkins Path from Hawkins Road to County Road 83, as well as Hawkins Road from North Bicycle Path in Selden to Hawkins Path in Centereach.
Prior to paving, crews replaced approximately 3,700 linear feet of curb, nearly 300 square feet of concrete sidewalk and approximately 4,000 square feet of aprons, in addition to installing ADA-compliant handicap ramps, at a cost of approximately $290,000.
The milling and paving cost for this project was $380,000; the total cost for this paving project was $670,000. “Hawkins Road is a main artery in Brookhaven Town, crossing two council districts and serving as a main access point for teachers, students and staff attending Stagecoach Elementary School,” said Superintendent Daniel Losquadro. “It is now safer and smoother for all motorists, bicyclists and pedestrians.”
Councilwoman Bonner said, “Resurfacing Hawkins Path and Hawkins Road makes travel so much safer for everyone. Fall is a busy time for the men and women of the Highway Department, but the residents of Brookhaven Town can rest assured that infrastructure improvements are a year-round priority for Superintendent Losquadro.”
Rusty is available for adoption at the Brookhaven Animal Shelter.
On September 28, the Town of Brookhaven Animal Shelter and Adoption Center will be featured during Oktoberfest at the Millhouse Inn, 284 Mill Road in Yaphank. Doors open at noon. Visitors can meet dogs that are available for adoption, obtain Matchmaker Forms, get volunteer information andmake a donation to help care for the animals at the shelter. Guests will enjoy food, drinks, music and more.
If you are unable to attend the Oktoberfest at the Millhouse Inn, visit the Brookhaven Animal Shelter and Adoption Center located at 300 Horseblock Road in Brookhaven. Hours of operation are Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m; and Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. For more information, please call 631-451-6950 or visit the website at www.brookhavenny.gov/animalshelter to fill out a matchmaker form and set up a meet and greet with you and our adoptable dog.
Councilmember Jonathan Kornreich (D-Stony Brook). Photo courtesy Town of Brookhaven livestream
By Peter Sloniewsky
The Town of Brookhaven Town Board met on Sept. 12 to discuss a variety of issues.
After a number of routine matters, the board addressed its Resolution Agenda. First, it designated the month of October as National Bullying Prevention Month, declared the week of Oct. 23-31 as Red Ribbon Week for drug education and awareness, and designated Sept. 29 as National Veterans of Foreign Wars Day.
The board then moved to authorize a grant from the Critical Infrastructure Grant Program it had received from the New York State Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services to fund a generator at its vehicle control facility. The board also voted to lease additional property at the town-owned Rolling Oaks Golf Course in Rocky Point, and to award bids to contractors for highway repair work, heavy-machinery repair work and at the Mill Pond Golf Course in Medford for cart path repair.
The board then voted to extend the Home Investment Partnerships Program with the Long Island Housing Partnership, which assists new homebuyers in financial need, through Dec. 16.
Lastly on to its Resolution Agenda, the board accepted donations of both money and land, authorized its attorney to settle claims against the town and authorized the qualification of the 2nd annual Long Island Law Enforcement Charity Car Show event to receive coverage under the Town of Brookhaven Programs for Public Good Insurance.
Beyond its Resolution Agenda, the Town Board set a date for a public hearing to amend the Uniform Traffic Code on Oct. 17. It also held public hearings for the town’s Planning Board and accepted comments from the general public.
The Town Board will meet again on Sept. 23 for a work session and publicly for a formal meeting on Sept. 26.
The Brookhaven Country Fair returns Sept. 21 and 22. Photo from TOB
New for 2024… Medieval Gathering, Demonstrations, Re-enactments and more!
Mark your calendars! The Town of Brookhaven’s Country Fair returns to the historic Longwood Estate located on Longwood Road and Smith Road in Ridge on Sept. 21 and 22 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Enjoy traditional crafts, vendors, colonial cooking, Revolutionary War and Civil War re-enactments, music by the Ed Travers Band, a medieval gathering, vintage apron show, house museum tours, and children’s activities.
Admission is $5 per person. Children under 12 are free and will receive a “Passport to the Past.” Parking is free with a complimentary shuttle from the Longwood Junior High School. Leashed and well-behaved pets are welcomed. Longwood Estate is located at the corner of Longwood Road and Smith Road in Ridge. Held rain or shine. For more information, call 631-924-1820.
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The Longwood Estate was passed down through the generations dating back prior to 1817.In 1973, developer Wilbur Breslin and Herbert Carmel purchased the property for commercial and industrial development. Brookhaven Town officials and area residents strongly opposed the plan and in 1974, Breslin and Carmel donated the manor house and 35 acres of land to the Town of Brookhaven. During its two-hundred-year history, the house knew fallow periods and a notable 60-year Golden Age of love, family, and bustling activity. The estate now is the host to various activities for the residents to enjoy. For more information about the Longwood Estate, visit www.brookhavenny.gov.
TOB Historian Barbara Russell (right,) researcher Lynne Scofield, (left) and interim president Suzanne Johnson (second from left,) in front of the Davis Town Meeting House. Courtesy TOB
Brookhaven Town Clerk Kevin LaValle has launched his “Talking History with the Town Clerk” video series, which features an in-depth tour of the Davis Meeting House, located in Coram.
This house served as the former clerk’s office during the early days of the Town of Brookhaven. The debut video features insights from town Historian Barbara Russell, who provides historical context about the landmark.
Constructed in the 1750s, the Davis House was owned for over 250 years by direct male descendants of Foulk Davis, who settled in Southampton in 1642. Historian Davis Erhardt identifies Elijah Davis (1727-1802) as the likely original owner, who operated the house as a tavern-inn.
By the 1790s, the house became the seat of the Town of Brookhaven government, for over 80 years. In the mid-1800s, it served as a temperance house and by 1890, it transitioned to a private residence.
The Brookhaven Town Board officially designated the Davis House as a landmark on April 15, 1986, recognizing its historical significance. It was named a New York State landmark in 2000 and a National Landmark in 2001.
Significant restoration work was completed in September 2012, including roof replacement, masonry repairs and the reconstruction of a timber-framed front porch. These efforts were part of a broader initiative to preserve the building’s historical character. Today, the Davis House functions as a vibrant community center, hosting various local events and programs.
The Davis Meeting House, located at 263 Middle Country Road in Coram, offers historical tours every second Sunday of the month. For more information, call 631-804-2256.
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