Tags Posts tagged with "Brookhaven Town Councilmember Jonathan Kornreich"

Brookhaven Town Councilmember Jonathan Kornreich

Second cleanup planned for August 28.

On August 22, the Ward Melville Heritage Organization (WMHO) organized a creek cleanup event in response to the recent storm that caused significant damage to Harbor Road and the Mill Pond in Stony Brook. The event brought together over 70 dedicated volunteers from Stony Brook and surrounding areas to address the aftermath of the storm, including the removal of debris and dead fish from Mill Creek.

The cleanup effort saw an outpouring of community support, with participants expressing their eagerness to contribute to the community.

Notable contributors included New York State Assemblyman Ed Flood and Brookhaven Town Councilmember Jonathan Kornreich, who lent their support and presence. Lowe’s generously provided essential supplies, and local businesses such as Crazy Beans Restaurant, Sweet Mama’s Restaurant, and Premiere Pastry Shop contributed food and beverages to keep volunteers refreshed. Stony Brook Kayak and Paddleboard Rentals, along with Lessing’s Hospitality Group and the Three Village Dads, also played vital roles in the event.

The Stony Brook Fire Department was on standby with emergency vehicles to assist if needed, while the Town of Brookhaven Highway Department facilitated the cleanup with the delivery of dumpsters.

WMHO extends their heartfelt gratitude to everyone who contributed to the creek cleanup. A second cleanup is scheduled for Wednesday, August 28 at 12:30 pm. If you are interested in participating please call 631-751-2244 for more details.

From left, James Loglisci, Suffolk County Department of Health Services; Mark Long, Suffolk County Department of Health Services; Supervisor Dan Panico; Councilmember Jonathan Kornreich and Deputy Suffolk County Health Commissioner, Anthony Figliola. Photo courtesy of TOB
From left, Brookhaven Suffolk County Health Commissioner Anthony Figliola, Brookhaven Town Supervisor Dan Panico and Brookhaven Town Councilmember Jonathan Kornreich. Photo courtesy of TOB

On July 30, Brookhaven Town Supervisor Dan Panico and Brookhaven Town Councilmember Jonathan Kornreich  joined Deputy Suffolk County Health Commissioner, Anthony Figliola  and James Loglisci and Mark Long from the Suffolk County Department of Health Services at Brookhaven Town’s Port Jefferson Marina to review and learn about the Suffolk County Marine Water Quality Monitoring program.

The Suffolk County Office of Ecology routinely monitors the quality of marine surface waters throughout Suffolk County as part of various environmental and management programs. These activities were initiated in 1976 under the “208 Study” (Section 208 of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act of 1972), a comprehensive water quality management program calling for the development of a plan to meet established water quality goals.

“Suffolk County’s Marine Monitoring Program is as interesting as it is impressive. Far more is known now than decades ago about the health of our waters and the sources of degradation. While there is a great deal of work to be done, the continual measuring to obtain metrics of the conditions is essential to understanding and improving our water quality. Port Jefferson and Setauket Harbors are two beautiful and treasured features of Brookhaven Town, and we appreciate the partnership with Suffolk County,” said Supervisor Panico.

“Thank you to Anthony Figliola and the Suffolk County Health Department for continuing to keep a close eye on the waters of Port Jefferson and Setauket. Today, Supervisor Panico and I joined the County’s team to test various sites in and around the harbor complex. They are out on the water all year round, in all weather, taking samples and testing to make sure contaminants and algae are being monitored at all times. Thank you to these hard-working men for your role in protecting public health and our maritime environment!” added Councilmember Kornreich.

Pictured from left are Town Clerk Kevin LaValle; Councilman Neil Manzella; Councilwoman Jane Bonner; Aman Mistry; Siddhant Desai; Supervisor Dan Panico; Councilmember Jonathan Kornreich; Councilman Neil Foley; Councilman Michael Loguercio and Councilwoman Karen Dunne Kesnig.

At the June 6 Brookhaven Town Board Meeting, Councilmember Jonathan Kornreich presented two Stony Brook University students, Aman Mistry and Siddhant Desai with a proclamation recognizing Scholars for Medicine Society.

The organization provides an environment to nurture leadership and problem-solving abilities of the Stony Brook community’s future physicians. They do it by hosting Stony Brook University Healthcare Innovation Challenge and encouraging student innovation in a multidisciplinary, collaborative environment supported by faculty mentorship. They also promote student-run community health initiatives that translate problem-solving skills to real-world impact in the greater community.

In addition, they recruit a diverse array of sponsors and event support, including Stony Brook University, The Contribution Project, the Protect Our Planet (POP) Movement, Duck Donuts in Selden, Councilmember Jonathan Kornreich, and David L. Calone. The Scholars for Medicine Society at Stony Brook University has facilitated connection in the Stony Brook community through campus-wide events like the Healthcare Innovation Challenge. 

For more information about the Scholars for Medicine Society at Stony Brook University, visit the Stony Brook University website at www.stonybrook.edu.

The Three Village Dads Foundation, Three Village school district representatives and members of the community celebrate the opening of the Merritt Hawkins Homestead property along with Brookhaven Councilmember, Jonathan Kornreich. Photo by Samantha Rutt

By Samantha Rutt

The Three Village Dads Foundation, with support from Town of Brookhaven District 1 Councilmember Jonathan Kornreich (D-Stony Brook), unveiled the refurbished historic Merritt-Hawkins Homestead property on May 6. 

The 9-acre estate, located at 512 Pond Path in Setauket,  is now open for the community, students and teachers to traverse. With a half mile of freshly groomed trailways accompanied by various educational signs, a little free library and park benches, the 3V Dads hope the property will become a known feature in the Three Village community.

“The property was like a blank canvas for us — there’s a lot to think of what this place could turn into. We were very excited to sign on and we appreciate Jonathan and the town for trusting us,” said 3V Dads president, David Tracy. “Our first goal was to transform the outside … and it is now a usable property and a green space for the community.”

Though now open to the public, the work of the 3V Dads restoration is not yet finished. The nonprofit looks to continue working on the interior of the house to restore the historic 1800s feel.

“Hopefully this fall we begin work on the inside of the house. It is an old house, built in 1802 — but it looks like somebody lived there in the 1980s. So it needs to go back to a transformation of the 1800s,” Tracy shared. 

Richard and Linda Belmont with Councilmember Kornreich. Photo from TOB

Recently, Town of Brookhaven Councilmember Jonathan Kornreich presented a compost tumbler to Richard and Linda Belmont of Strongs Neck, winners of the Town of Brookhaven’s “Compost Tumbler Giveaway” from Council District 1.

The contest was held on the Town’s “CURBY Town of Brookhaven’s Recycling Can” Facebook page in honor of Earth Day. Residents pledged to reduce their waste in a variety of ways, such as bringing a reusable coffee mug or buying fresh food with little to no packaging. One winner was selected from each Town Council District.

Through its Green Energy and Sustainability Initiative, the Town has been “greening-up” its operations and facilities while saving taxpayer money by utilizing new, and more energy efficient technologies and renewable energy sources. All these efforts lower operation costs and reduce Town carbon emissions. By encouraging waste diversion through recycling and composting, the Town can further realize spending and emissions reductions.

For more information about recycling in the Town of Brookhaven, visit www.BrookhavenNY.gov.

 

The Three Village Dads Foundation organize efforts to restore the Merritt-Hawkins House in Setauket. Photo courtesy David Tracy

By Serena Carpino

Three Village Dads Foundation recently finished refurbishing the outside area of the Merritt-Hawkins House in East Setauket. The renovations of the 9-acre property cost about $40,000.

The house, located on Pond Path, was leased to the Three Village Dads in 2021, after Brookhaven Town Councilmember Jonathan Kornreich (D-Stony Brook) approached the organization about a partnership. In July 2022, Three Village Dads began fixing up the house and after two years of work, the outdoor renovations were complete. 

After Kornreich was first elected, he began to identify properties owned by the town that needed to be fixed up and looked for stewards to repair these areas. Kornreich said that he chose the Three Village Dads organization for this project because he “figured these guys are going to put on their New Balance sneakers, go out there, and cut vines and be dads in the backyard of this place and clean it up.” Kornreich continued, “It was a good match because there’s a lot of volunteers who like to do this kind of hands-on project.” 

The first step of the restoration was to clean up the trails that led to the vernal pond at the back of the property. Volunteers cleared brushes, put down wood chips and built a parking lot increasing the accessibility for members of the community. In addition, they placed signs around the property that identify different plants and other unique factors of the house. 

Although much of the work was done by volunteers, Three Village Dads also enlisted the help of outside companies. David Tracy, president of the organization explained that they “used [about 30] volunteers from the group for the first year. However, there was a lot of heavy lifting and work to be done, so we hired a few companies to help with the remaining work.” 

The foundation hired Clovis Outdoor Services, a Stony Brook tree company to remove old or rotted trees. In addition, JM Troffa Hardscape, a masonry and building supply company from East Setauket, provided Three Village Dads with the materials for the parking lot. Furthermore, Sheep Pasture Landscaping of Port Jefferson Station helped finish remodeling the trails. Tracy added that they “had a Boy Scout complete his Eagle Scout project on the property by installing our educational signs and building benches.”

The house is near to Nassakeag Elementary School, and Tracy and Kornreich hope that students and teachers will be able to take advantage of the trails through nature walks. There are over 15 educational signs meant for student use. 

“The house is connected to Nassakeag and we’re going to put a gate in between the two, so students from other parts of the district can take a bus and go on guided nature walks and educational walks. So, it’s good for students and it’s good for people that want to just get out into nature,” Kornreich said.

Tracy confirmed there will be public access to the property. 

Having completed the outdoor renovations, Three Village Dads hope to finish work on the inside of the house within the next two to three years. Tracy said that their goal is “to transform it into something similar to the historical society building, with a small museum.”

Kornreich will spearhead a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the house May 1 to commemorate the finished work around the outside. “The reality is that these guys do so many things to support the community and they never really do it for the publicity or the recognition, so I think it’s a really good opportunity to highlight the good work they did and thank them for all their hard work,” the councilmember said.

Caption: Legislator Steve Englebright, right, congratulates Town of Brookhaven Councilmember Jonathan Kornreich on being named the 5th Legislative District's Champion of Diversity.

Recently, Suffolk County legislators were tasked with naming a Champion of Diversity in their legislative district. For Legislator Steven Englebright (D-Setauket), the choice was easy: Town of Brookhaven Councilmember Jonathan Kornreich (D-Stony Brook).

The legislators introduced their Champions of Diversity at the Suffolk County Legislature’s April 9 meeting in Riverhead. While Kornreich could not attend due to a scheduling conflict, Englebright read a biography summarizing the councilmember’s achievements. The legislator was able to present Kornreich’s proclamation to him personally at Brookhaven Town Hall on April 23.  

Legislator Englebright has known Kornreich for more than a decade and has witnessed firsthand the councilmember’s efforts in creating a more diverse and equitable community, even before Kornreich served as an elected official.

Included among Kornreich’s accomplishments is the councilmember helping to create the Asian American, Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander Advisory Board (AANHPI) at the Town of Brookhaven. The board aims to build bridges of friendship and understanding between the town government and the Asian American community.

The councilmember speaks annually at the North Shore Jewish Center to educate the senior community about the various town resources available. He secured recognition of Pride Month in 2021 for the first time by the Brookhaven Town Board. He also coordinated with the LGBTQ+ community from Stony Brook University for Pride Month to host the school’s first Pride block party, which now takes place annually.

Currently, Kornreich is working on a heroic project with various community members to raise funds through private donations to restore the American Legion Irving Hart Post 1766 in Setauket. The building, now in disrepair, was a de facto community center for decades. Established after World War II by members of the mixed-heritage Black and Native American community who lived in the Bethel-Christian Avenue-Laurel Hill Historic District area, the Post served as a local veterans’ service organization for those who returned home from serving their country and found other posts would not accept them.

Kornreich said, “I am deeply grateful to Legislator Englebright for recognizing the work of our team in making sure that the diverse voices of Brookhaven’s Council District 1 are seen and heard. As one of the most diverse districts in the town, we believe it is central to our government mission to make sure our residents’ diverse perspectives are included in our work in a meaningful way.”

The councilmember has served the residents of Brookhaven’s First District since being elected to office in a special election in 2021. He is a former Three Village Civic Association president and a former board member of both the North Shore Montessori School in Stony Brook and Three Village Central School District Board of Education.

 

East Setauket Pond Park. Photo by Mallie Jane Kim

By Mallie Jane Kim

East Setauket Pond Park is due for a facelift next year, and Brookhaven Town Councilmember Jonathan Kornreich (D-Stony Brook) is assembling a diverse set of voices to help make plans for the landmark property, which sits next to Se-Port Deli on Route 25A.

Kornreich said the people he invited to join the committee include descendants of the Setalcott Nation and parents of young children — in addition to residents who are often involved in Three Village area community service, leadership and decision-making.

The park sits on a likely landing point of the first European settlers of Brookhaven, an event commemorated by a 1955 mural housed in Town Hall. The mural depicts a busy Setalcott village with European ships approaching in the distance, and some believe the perspective of the painting is East Setauket Pond Park.

Kornreich said he wants to be sure he is considering the history as well as the future of the property.

“When you’re doing something as important as creating a park that’s going to be there for the next 100 years, I think we have to be thoughtful and include some other voices that maybe we don’t always listen to,” Kornreich explained of his effort to broaden his advisory group to include more than the usual suspects. “A diverse set of voices generally yields better decision-making.”

Some of those usual suspects include members of the Setauket Harbor Task Force, whose advocacy started the process of the park rehabilitation in the first place. The tidal pond water drains into the harbor itself, and when the task force formed in 2014, the pond was filled with sand, sediment and pollutants from Route 25A road runoff. 

Task force co-founder George Hoffman remembers working to bring the park onto Brookhaven’s radar. The town’s parks department began mowing and clearing some invasive plants, he explained, as the task force worked with former state Sen. John Flanagan (R-East Northport) to secure a $1 million clean water grant in 2016. After various delays, the money went toward dredging the pond in 2022 and building an appropriate drainage system for the highway in 2023.

Hoffman said he understands the need to include a variety of voices in developing the park, but he acknowledges it is hard to adjust after advocating for it for so long. “We’ve always seen ourselves as unofficial stewards of Setauket Pond Park,” he said. “It’s been our baby, but now it’s kind of everyone’s baby.”

He added that he hopes the environment will remain an important aspect of any development. “The pond is tied into water quality as the headwaters of the harbor,” he said. “It’s important we don’t do anything to jeopardize that.”

Hoffman and Kornreich both said they hope a redeveloped park will serve as an anchor for revitalization of downtown East Setauket as well as provide an economic boost to the area, giving residents a clear view of the harbor and providing an enjoyable outdoor space near local businesses.

One woman tapped for the new committee, East Setauket resident Stephanie Alwais, said she is excited to be a part of the process. In her five years on the board of North Shore Montessori School in Stony Brook, she has had a lot of exposure to the needs and desires of area families with young children. 

“North Shore is such an embedded school within the community, and the park is also right in the center of the community,” Alwais said. “As a mom in Setauket, I’d love for the park to be a place where families can go.”

Kornreich said his advisory committee will work with the parks department to figure out the best use of the land, which will expand to include the parcel that currently houses Setauket Automotive, next door to the current park. Brookhaven purchased that land late in 2022 with plans to tear down the auto-shop building once the business-owner tenant’s lease expires at the end of July 2025. 

Elaine’s Restaurant and Bar, 316 Main Street in East Setauket celebrated their grand opening with a ribbon cutting ceremony on April 4. 

The event was attended by Brookhaven Town Councilmember Jonathan Kornreich, members of the Three Village Chamber of Commerce, Laurie Vetere from Suffolk County Legislator Steve Englebright’s office, friends and family who wished owners Elaine and Enzo Micali the best of luck in their new venture. 

The former location of the Japanese restaurant Tai Show North, the restaurant has been completely renovated and is now serving simple, seasonal Italian dishes combined with classic American fare with a happy hour Monday through Friday from 4 to 6 p.m., outdoor dining and takeout available. For more information, call 631-678-1950 or visit www.elaines-setauket.com.

Proposed site plan. Photo courtesy R+M Engineering

By Mallie Jane Kim

South Setauket may see three mega-warehouses with 77 loading stalls for tractor trailers, if a site plan by Northville Industries goes through. The petroleum storage and distribution company sent a letter to neighbors explaining the plan and inviting comment at a public meeting in the Centereach Holiday Inn Express set for Monday, March 25.

“This is an area that’s underserved for warehouse uses,” Northville’s lawyer Tim Shea said. “Most of the warehouses are by the freeway or on the South Shore.”

But that’s not the only plan on the table.

Shea indicated the company would also present the option of multifamily housing: “We had discussed the alternative of doing multifamily, and we plan to offer that alternative to the neighbors at that meeting.” 

Town board approval required

The property, bordered by Upper Sheep Pasture Road and Belle Mead Road, is zoned for industrial use, and that zoning would need to be changed to add an apartment complex or townhome community, for example. 

But that suggestion has already faced pushback at the town level.

Brookhaven Councilmember Jonathan Kornreich (D-Stony Brook) acknowledged Northville had approached him about rezoning for multifamily homes, something he is against. “I told them it’s not an appropriate site next to the gas tanks, and in the middle of this other neighborhood,” he said.

Shea contends any multifamily housing would meet setback requirements from the tanks, adding that he’s familiar with other areas of the country that have housing similarly situated near tanks like the ones in Setauket.

Kornreich, who deals closely with land use and zoning issues in his role on the town council, said he has seen developers in other situations use a “carrot and stick” method to rally community support: Asking for what they truly want but, in the face of resistance, offering something that might sound worse but is within their rights to build. Kornreich said he’d be curious to see if that is the strategy in this case. 

“Sometimes communities are given a false choice,” he said.

The potential “false choice” in this case is a proposed addition of a driveway onto Upper Sheep Pasture Road, where traffic is already tricky and not built for large trucks. At issue is a stipulation in a zoning lawsuit settlement from the 1990s, which contains a stipulation that, according to Shea, permits Northville to add a driveway north onto Sheep Pasture Road. According to Kornreich, the town’s legal department disagrees. 

In any case, Northville would still need town board approval. Kornreich said he would oppose a site plan if it includes that driveway, and he sees no reason his councilmember colleagues would break with him on this issue. 

“It would be extremely unlikely for them to override a decision in my district, especially over something as small as the position of a driveway,” he said, pointing to the respect among current board members.

Local reaction

George Hoffman, one of the Three Village Civic Association leaders who attended meetings between Kornreich and Northville, expressed grave concerns about adding that driveway on Upper Sheep Pasture. “It really jams up — it’s not a good corner,” Hoffman said. “This could be one of those last-mile warehouses where you have those trucks coming in and out, and the quality of life for people who live on those streets is really going to be impacted.”

Shea said Northville does not have a contract in place for use of the proposed warehouses, so it’s not decided who the final user would be and what the warehouses would be used for. 

He added that Northville sent its notification letter even more broadly than required by town code out of a desire to interact with the neighbors, and indicated the company has heard the concerns about a northern driveway. “When we did our traffic analysis,” he said, “it came out that having the entrance on Sheep Pasture Road would actually lessen the impact on traffic to the area, rather than pushing everything to Belle Mead Road.”

But Hoffman, who is also a water quality advocate and has raised concerns about Northville in the past, wishes the gas company would be more willing to work with community representatives, especially in light of its environmental record. In 1988, Northville revealed it had suffered a slow gas leak of about 1.2 million gallons of gasoline into the ground at the Setauket property, which, according to news articles at the time, led to years of remediation, $25 million in damages and repairs and a $7.2 million settlement with homeowners who said their property values had declined in the aftermath of the spill.

“They have a terrible environmental history,” Hoffman said. “Why do they want to be so confrontational to the community and to the town?”

For his part, Kornreich does not see a problem with new warehouses per se, as long as trucks are not funneled onto the residential Sheep Pasture Road. He said warehouses are within Northville’s industrial zoning rights, and they could help diversify the area’s economy while providing good-paying jobs. 

“You’ve got to have some industrial space around, and that’s the space for it,” Kornreich said. “You’re not cutting down trees, and it’s on land that’s not being used for anything else.”

Traffic disruption is only one of the concerns for nearby residents, though. Gillian Maser, who lives nearby on Upper Sheep Pasture Road and within sight distance of the large gas tanks, said she is also concerned about the environmental impact and noise pollution in a relatively quiet, family community. 

“I’m trying to stay as objective as possible, but there are definitely some red flags on this one,” Maser said. “With 77 tractor trailer bays, there could be a lot of noise in the middle of the night, with trucks loading and unloading.”

Maser said she and her husband are hoping to attend the March 25 meeting.