Employees from e-Green Recycling Management with Village of Port Jefferson Parking Administrator Kevin Wood, left, Deputy Mayor Rebecca Kassay, third from left, and Greater Port Jefferson Chamber of Commerce Director of Operations Barbara Ransome, center. Photo by Aramis Khosro
By Aramis Khosro
As part of a villagewide sustainability initiative, the Village of Port Jefferson teamed up with Holtsville-based e-Green Recycling Management on Saturday, Aug. 5, for a recycling event at the Perry Street lot in Upper Port.
Deputy Mayor Rebecca Kassay, the village’s sustainability commissioner, said this first-of-its-kind recycling event represents an ongoing effort to keep the community clean and promote environmental conservation locally.
“People want to be part of something bigger,” she said. “As a board of trustees member, I look for opportunities like this to bring our community together and keep toxic waste out of our landfills.”
In attendance was Stella Cohen, who has worked for five years at e-Green Recycling. She described the company’s mission, noting that recycled electronic waste serves a beneficial function for the environment.
Through recycling, “you’re saving the planet,” Cohen said.
According to the New York City Mayor’s Office of Climate and Environmental Justice, New Yorkers alone produce over 14 million tons of waste per year, the bulk of which ends up in landfills, polluting streets and water systems. E-waste is among the most voluminous and harmful household hazards, according to the NYC Department of Sanitation.
Since its launch in 2012, e-Green Recycling has worked to tackle the issue of electronic waste head-on.
Cohen added that recycling e-waste has the further benefit of promoting digital equity, which the National Digital Inclusion Alliance defines as “a condition in which all individuals and communities have the information technology capacity needed for full participation in our society, democracy, and economy.”
A New York State Education Department report states that nearly 27% of New Yorkers are not subscribed to wireline broadband services at home. Additionally, 22% of New York households do not have functioning laptops or desktops.
“Those recycled laptops and PCs can be refurbished and reused for people who cannot afford to buy them,” Cohen said. “There is a big economic factor as well.”
Kevin Wood, the village’s parking administrator and director of economic development, emphasized the value of these events in fostering a community identity and shared purpose.
“I like these events because they’re responsible,” he said, adding, “This is a great model for events in the future.”
Kassay expressed eagerness to repeat e-waste recycling activities soon.
“We will absolutely be organizing more events like this,” the deputy mayor said. “Whether it’s the village hosting or another municipality or organization, we want our residents to know that it is easy to do the right thing.”
The Memorial Parade of Boats can be viewed from Harborfront Park in Port Jefferson. File photo by Bob Savage
View Memorial Parade of Boats at Harborfront Park prior to race
It’s time once again to sail for a cure as the 14th annual Village Cup Regatta, a friendly competition between Mather Hospital and the Village of Port Jefferson, returns on Saturday, Sept. 9.
Presented by the Port Jefferson Yacht Club, the Regatta raises funds for Mather’s Palliative Medicine Program and the Lustgarten Foundation, which funds pancreatic cancer research. Last year’s Regatta raised more than $109,000 — a record sum — which was divided between Mather Hospital and the Lustgarten Foundation. The event has raised almost $860,000 over the past 13 years.
The Regatta consists of Yacht Club-skippered sailboats divided into two teams representing Mather Hospital and the Village of Port Jefferson. Employees from the Hospital and Village help crew the boats, which race in one of three classes based on boat size.
The festivities begin in Harborfront Park, 101 East Broadway in Port Jefferson Village, at 10 a.m, where you can purchase shirts, commemorative hats, nautical bags and mugs. The Memorial Parade of Boats begins at 11 a.m. at the Port Jefferson Village dock. All sailboats participating in the Regatta will pass by the park dressed in banners and nautical flags on their way out to the Long Island Sound for the race which begins at 1 p.m.
Actor, director and local resident Ralph Macchio will once again serve as Village Cup Regatta Celebrity Ambassador for the event. Macchio has helped to publicize the important work of the two programs funded by the Regatta for the last ten years. Macchio’s wife, Phyllis, is a nurse practitioner in Mather Hospital’s Palliative Medicine Program.
Following the Regatta, a celebratory Skipper’s Reception and presentation of the Village Cup will take placeat 3:30 p.m. in a restored 1917 shipyard building that today serves as the Port Jefferson Village Center, just steps away from the Harborfront Park.
To sign up as a crew member for the Mather Hospital team, contact Cindy Court at 631-476-2723 or [email protected]
To sign up as a crew member for the Port Jefferson Village team, contact Sylvia at 631-473-4724, ext. 219 or email [email protected].
For more information and to purchase tickets to the reception ($50 per person includes food, wine, beer and raffles), please visit www.portjeffersonyachtclub.com or www.facebook.com/villagecupregatta.
As I’m writing to you today, I can’t help but feel a deep sense of purpose and determination, the kind that comes from years of being not just a public servant, but a fellow resident, a neighbor and a friend.
Since I chose to move to Port Jeff almost 20 years ago, this beautiful community has been our shared home. I began my journey of getting involved with a simple, heartfelt desire — to make a positive difference right here, in our own backyard.
From being a trustee and then your deputy mayor, I’ve had the privilege of serving us all, sharing in our joys, our challenges and our victories. It’s been a labor of love, and I wouldn’t have had it any other way.
Let’s take a stroll down memory lane and revisit some of the milestones we’ve achieved together.
One of the greatest benefits I have experienced as a public servant is the opportunity to collaborate with numerous individuals and groups within the village. Working together, these efforts resulted in achievements that directly benefit our residents; here’s some of what we’ve accomplished together:
• Built solid connections with our school district because we all believe in providing the best for our children.
• Taken a stand for safety, putting in place new village code to curb dangerous bicycle riding, because every single one of us deserves to feel safe in our neighborhood.
• Successfully lowered the crime rate in our village as reported by SCPD.
• Made strides in convenience, with the new parking lot on Barnum Avenue — the first in 40 years, making our community even more accessible.
• Embraced the future with the launch of Passport — Port Jefferson’s first resident ride share service, because we’ve always been about community and supporting each other.
• Kept our local businesses thriving, collaborating on the Ice Festival during the off-season, because we understand the importance of supporting local merchants.
• Held onto our roots, working with the Architectural Review Committee to ensure new constructions preserve the historic charm of our village, because we all love the unique character of the place we call home.
• Added pocket parks, planting beds, addressed graffiti and littering and added holiday decorations all in an effort to make and keep our village beautiful.
• And most importantly, we’ve stayed responsive, resolving community issues promptly, often within 24 hours, because your concerns are my concerns, too.
Every step of the way, my aim has been to make our beloved Port Jefferson Village even more of a safe, beautiful place that we all are proud to call home.
The recent election didn’t turn out the way I’d hoped, and it’s been a humbling and enlightening experience. It’s made me reflect and realize that I could have done a better job of communicating my intentions and plans. But let’s remember, this isn’t an end — it’s a new chapter.
For those of you who supported me, I can’t thank you enough and for those that didn’t feel they could support me in this election, I thank you as well for providing me with your perspective. Please know that I remain committed to being an advocate for everyone and standing up for our community.
We will continue to learn from our shared experiences, sticking together and serving our community with renewed commitment.
It’s often said that when one door closes another door opens. With this hopeful message, I’m looking forward to the future and the many different opportunities it will bring for us all.
Thank you for being such an integral part of this journey. I’m excited to see where it takes us next.
With warmth and appreciation,
Kathianne Snaden
The writer served as Village of Port Jefferson trustee from 2019-23, including one term as deputy mayor, 2021-23.
From left, trustees Bob Juliano and Drew Biondo, Mayor Lauren Sheprow and Deputy Mayor Rebecca Kassay. Not pictured, trustee Stan Loucks. Photo by Aidan Johnson
By Aidan Johnson
Monday, July 10, marked Lauren Sheprow’s first Village of Port Jefferson Board of Trustees meeting as village mayor.
Sheprow led the new board through their business and reorganization meeting, in which the reconfigured village board voted to reject proposed code changes slated for the Maryhaven Center of Hope property on Myrtle Avenue.
Mayor Lauren Sheprow presiding over the Village of Port Jefferson Board of Trustees on Monday, July 10. Photo by Aidan Johnson
Maryhaven Center of Hope
The proposed code amendments were an effort by the previous administration to preserve the historic building on the Maryhaven site. [See story, “For Maryhaven, Port Jeff village board weighs historic preservation, density and conservation,” April 29, TBR News Media website.]
It would have created a special permit application to allow the village board to designate specific parcels that contribute to Port Jefferson’s architectural and aesthetic character.
If approved, an applicant meeting these criteria would have qualified for relaxed standards for land use, allowing for additional height and stories without additional clearing.
During the public comment period Monday night, former village trustee Barbara Ransome addressed the continuing concerns over the property.
“I’m hoping that there are no quick decisions about changing codes for potential developers,” she said. “I think we heard at the [May 1] public hearing a lot of concern about the infrastructure, about losing a wonderful area that people feel is just going to be too crowded with that kind of density.”
Trustee Stan Loucks, not pictured, left the village board meeting after learning he would not be reappointed as liaison to Port Jefferson Country Club. Photo by Aidan Johnson
Reorganization
But not all went smoothly at Village Hall.
Trustee Stan Loucks, who ran in this year’s village election alongside mayoral candidate Kathianne Snaden, left directly after the board’s reorganization meeting, skipping the general meeting altogether after Sheprow revealed he would no longer serve as liaison to the Port Jefferson Country Club.
“I feel very strongly that I’ve had an impact on the resurgence of the country club,” Loucks said. He went on to say that he did not think he could “work any further with this board.”
Village clerk Barbara Sakovich will leave the village government after more than 13 years in that role. Her retirement will take effect July 19. The trustees expressed their gratitude for her years of service. Silvia Pirillo will take over as the new clerk.
Sheprow appointed trustee Rebecca Kassay as deputy mayor and commissioner of environmental stability.
“It is an honor to step into the position of deputy mayor because it helps me better serve the village and work [especially with] flood resilience and climate studies,” Kassay said in an interview after the meeting.
“I’ve been talking to organizations like [the United States Geological Survey], and having the title of deputy mayor shows that the village is taking these climate resilience issues very seriously,” she noted. “I’m very glad to be representing the village in this way.”
Trustee Bob Juliano will serve as commissioner of public works and parks. Loucks was appointed commissioner of recreation, and newly appointed trustee Drew Biondo will be commissioner of buildings and communications.
Harry Faulknor will continue as the Port Jefferson Harbor commissioner.
Sheprow will serve as commissioner of finance and public safety/court/code.
A motion to appoint Donald Pearce as village treasurer failed — he held the post previously before resigning in 2015. Juliano suggested that while Pearce is excellent to work with, he was displeased that Denise Mordente was not reappointed.
Code enforcement chief Andy Owen delivering his department’s monthly public safety report. Photo by Aidan Johnson
Public safety
The general meeting started with a brief presentation from Code Enforcement Bureau chief Andy Owen and chief of patrol James Murdocco.
Owen clarified that the code department does not save and store private information through its automatic license plate readers, which are used to identify if a car has a valid Port Jefferson parking permit or a meter is paid.
He also announced that foot patrols downtown would begin after this weekend’s Port Paws Dog Festival. Owen said he is also planning on starting a bike patrol unit.
In June, 60 incident reports were written, consisting of noise complaints, traffic conditions and public disturbances.
A total of 206 summonses were written in June for incidents such as uninspected vehicles, missing license plates, parking without a permit or overtime meter parking.
Murdocco reported there have been over 200 incidents at the Port Jefferson train station since January, with many happening after 9 p.m.
Murdocco also announced the start of an informational Facebook page for the code bureau.
Public comment
During the public comment portion, held before the trustee reports, multiple residents voiced concerns about the potential overdevelopment of the park at Roosevelt Avenue. Myrna Gordon, along with other residents, suggested these developments would not be conducive to the area’s quiet character.
Sheprow announced a planned Parks and Rec Advisory Council meeting on July 26. All residents of the Roosevelt Avenue area are invited.
Michael Mart also touched upon the issue of transient housing — such as Airbnb facilities — in Port Jefferson, expressing a desire for the board to limit the rental time of a house to 30 days per renter.
After a resident asked how villagers could get involved with the different committees and task forces, Kassay said they are currently working on an online forum where residents could enter their information and the committees on which they would like to participate.
Reports
Juliano announced he would be starting office hours and that his door was always open. He also said that he gave the interim attorney a proposed code change so that when developers apply through the Industrial Development Agency for pilots or property tax exemptions, they would start at whatever they were paying now instead of at zero.
Biondo shared that he had toured a few of Port Jefferson’s facilities as the liaison to building and planning. He said he would discuss with the mayor and village attorney how they can streamline government processes.
Kassay said the Complete Streets and Walkability Plan is moving forward. She also said the board is still working on mitigating flooding challenges, though the problems cannot be eliminated. However, they are working on a study to see which areas need to be focused on for flood mitigation.
Kassay and Andrew Kelly, from Hauppauge-based VHB civil engineering company, are working on assisting grant writers with the documentation needed to apply to the New York State Environmental Protection Fund to progress to the next step for the planned Six Acre Park, which consists of taking a concept and making “show ready” plans for the park.
Sheprow announced she had appointed an ethics attorney to update the village’s ethics code. She also said that she has met with representatives from Stony Brook University’s Student Affairs office, and they have expressed interest in using Port Jefferson as a “living laboratory.”
The Board of Trustees also passed a resolution to create a budget and finance committee, and has been working to recruit members of a short-term and long-term rental evaluation working group.
Sheprow added that the board is considering establishing a working group to advise on policies related to the Port Jefferson Power Station to explore declining public revenue and possible repowering.
The board will reconvene Monday, July 24, at 3:30 p.m.
Long-time communications professional to serve out remainder of Mayor Sheprow's unexpired trustee term
Village clerk Barbara Sakovich, right, swears newly-appointed trustee Drew Biondo into office on Tuesday, July 4. Photo by Julianne Mosher
In the first official action of the new administration, Mayor Lauren Sheprow appointed communications professional Drew Biondo to serve as village trustee.
Sheprow was elected trustee last year for a two-year term ending June 2024. Biondo will serve out the remainder of Sheprow’s unexpired term. This appointment is not subject to board approval under New York Village Law.
Biondo has served as director of communications at Suffolk County Community College since 2013. He is a former Long Island Power Authority trustee, serving in that role from 2018-23. He also worked as director of communications and press secretary for former New York State Sen. Ken LaValle (R-Port Jefferson).
“I’ve known and worked with Drew in a variety of capacities for more than 20 years,” Sheprow said in a press release July 3. “I know him to be very strategic and purposeful in his approach. His time spent on the LIPA board, in higher education, as well as in Senator LaValle’s [office] has prepared him well to be able to serve the residents of Port Jefferson as a trustee.”
In an exclusive interview, Biondo shared that he visited Village Hall on Monday, where he introduced himself to village staff. He expressed confidence in the administration in place.
“Just in my brief time at Village Hall this morning, I got to meet a few of the career professionals,” he said. “I think we’re in really good hands.”
In the leadup to accepting the appointment, Biondo said he and Sheprow began discussing “government processes,” which he noted will be a central policy focus in the coming term.
“As much as people complain that the government is slow and bureaucratic, those processes are a check and balance to make sure that everything is done properly, that i’s are dotted and t’s are crossed,” he said.
The newly appointed trustee indicated development and redevelopment projects are at the “top of mind for a lot of village residents.” He suggested parking and taxes would also represent priority areas for the reconfigured village board.
“Those are all things that I think all of the trustees will focus on,” he said.
With unsettled questions surrounding the tax-generating Port Jefferson Power Station, Biondo said he would aim to leverage his experience on the LIPA board to advance the cause of village residents.
“Yes, I will be using my five years of experience serving on the board of LIPA to help the village,” he said.
Speaking to his new constituency, Biondo said, “It’s not lost on me that I’m unelected.” Despite this, he stressed the need for the village to look ahead.
“There’s a time for politics, and there’s a time for governing,” he said. “Now is the time to govern.”
“Thank you to Mayor Sheprow,” he added. “I look forward to serving the village and its residents.”
Despite rainy weather, hundreds of people from across Long Island headed to downtown Port Jefferson July 4 to cheer on their families, friends and neighbors during the annual Port Jefferson Fire Department Independence Day Parade.
Fire departments from both the North Shore and South Shore brought in their fire trucks, ambulances and marching bands all sporting red, white and blue, while local dancers, Cub Scouts and business personnel marched alongside them down Main Street.
And while the weather held up for most of the event, a quick downpour didn’t stop spectators from watching the newest village officials get sworn in.
Port Jefferson village clerk Barbara Sakovich gave the oath on the steps of Village Hall to the village’s newest mayor, Lauren Sheprow, reelected trustee Stan Loucks, newly elected trustee Bob Juliano and newly appointed trustee Drew Biondo.
Sheprow was surrounded at the podium by family, including her grandchildren and father, former village Mayor Harold Sheprow.
“I could not have done this without you,” she said, looking out to him in the crowd.
She also thanked her supporters.
“I look at each one of your faces, and I know you supported this initiative,” she said. “I thank you so much from the bottom of my heart.”
Village of Port Jefferson Mayor Margot Garant during a Board of Trustees meeting June 5. File photo by Raymond Janis
Former Port Jefferson Village Mayor Margot Garant, the Democratic Party nominee in this year’s contest for Town of Brookhaven supervisor, has suspended her campaign.
Lillian Clayman, a resident of Port Jefferson and adjunct professor of labor and industrial relations at SUNY Old Westbury, will now lead the Democratic ticket.
Garant recently experienced “an unforeseen health issue,” prompting her to exit the race, according to a statement from the Brookhaven Town Democratic Committee.
“This was not an easy decision,” Garant said. “Public service has been the honor of a lifetime, and my love for Port Jefferson and Brookhaven knows no bounds.” But, she added, “Right now, I need to put my health and my family first.”
Incumbent town Supervisor Ed Romaine (R) announced his candidacy for Suffolk County executive in February, triggering an open contest to fill his seat. Garant and Deputy Supervisor Dan Panico (R-Manorville) had secured their respective party’s nominations that same month.
Panico responded to news of Garant’s departure. “I wish Margot the very best for a speedy and full recovery,” he said in a text to TBR News Media.
Anthony Portesy, chair of the town Democratic committee, confirmed Clayman, former BTDC chair from January 2016 to August 2020 and three-time mayor of Hamden, Connecticut, from 1991-97, has stepped forward to replace Garant as the party’s nominee.
“I wish my dear friend Margot Garant a speedy recovery,” Clayman said. “I am delighted to join a slate of Democratic candidates who are committed to making Brookhaven a forward-looking, honestly governed community.”
In a message published on social media, Portesy offered consolation to Garant, maintaining an optimistic tenor as the race continues.
“I want to take the time to thank my dear friend Margot Garant for stepping up to run this race, and I wish her a rapid recovery,” the committee chair said. “The battle marches on, but you remain in our hearts, our thoughts and our minds as we carry your vision forward into November.”
Garant served as mayor of Port Jefferson from 2009-23. She announced her plans to retire from the village government earlier this year and was succeeded by trustee Lauren Sheprow on July 3.
Lauren Sheprow, mayor-elect of the Village of Port Jefferson. File photo by Raymond Janis
The Village of Port Jefferson is undergoing its first mayoral transition in 14 years. Outgoing Mayor Margot Garant, who has held the village’s highest post since 2009, will officially leave the office early next week, handing the reins of power to trustee Lauren Sheprow.
Sheprow, a write-in candidate who campaigned as an agent of change, defeated Deputy Mayor Kathianne Snaden in last week’s village election [See story, “Write-in candidate Lauren Sheprow elected Port Jeff Village mayor,” The Port Times Record, June 22, also TBR News Media website]. Throughout her campaign, she proposed several initiatives, such as new staffing procedures, committees and communications channels.
In an exclusive interview, the mayor-elect opened up about the transition process, unveiling her expectations for the office and offering some reorganization plans.
“Fourteen years is a long time,” she told TBR News Media. “Mayor Garant did amazing things in Port Jefferson, and I never want to take anything away from her and what she’s done.”
“I’m just excited to start something new and fresh, and see what we can do to help bring Port Jefferson to the next chapter,” she added.
She offered that she is currently “working through sort of an organizational chart,” assessing where current staff members will fit within the organizational hierarchy and whether there are opportunities for change.
Through this chart, she is “trying to understand if everything makes sense the way it’s laid out,” she said. “Possibly it does, but that’s the evaluation process that I’m going through right now.”
With one year remaining in her unexpired term as trustee, one of Sheprow’s highest-profile vacancies is the one she will create by swearing in as mayor. New York Village Law empowers the mayor to “appoint individuals to fill vacancies in both elected and appointed offices when the vacancy occurs before the expiration of the official’s term of office,” with this type of mayoral appointment “not subject to board approval.”
Outside of village attorney Brian Egan, who announced his resignation this week, Sheprow declined to reveal any other major administrative changes or forecast upcoming mayoral appointments.
One of Sheprow’s central positions during her campaign was the formation of new resident task forces and committees to assist the board in local decision-making. Sheprow maintained her intent to move ahead with plans for committees on parking, budgets and the Port Jefferson Power Station, among others.
“I have three or four people that I can tap into immediately on the Audit and Budget Committee,” she said. “I’ve been talking to people about the Parking Committee, the LIPA Committee,” adding that the village government is exploring a portal for residents to enter their interests and alert the committee boards on which they would like to volunteer.
Expanding upon this initiative, Sheprow said she had contacted Kevin Wood, the village’s communications committee head, about overhauling the village’s municipal website, suggesting a website revamp would likely be a multimonth endeavor.
Sheprow also said she has been scrutinizing the village’s existing Code of Ethics, noting this “probably hasn’t been touched in all the years since it’s been established,” adding that a similar approach is underway for procurement and investment policies.
The mayor-elect described the transition process as “exciting,” noting a personal lack of anxiety in preparing for the mayor’s office.
“It’s just energizing, and I’m looking forward to it,” she said. “We have a great operating institution in the Village of Port Jefferson. The people in place are doing their jobs, and I hope to empower them to do their jobs even more.”
Sheprow will be sworn in as mayor outside Village Hall this Tuesday, July 4.
Odell’s Market in 1903. Photo from the Port Jefferson Historical Society
By Sandra Swenk
A popular local mom-and-pop business once flourished at the intersection of Beach Street and West Broadway in Port Jefferson under several owners. Longtime proprietors, George and Janet Odell, retired after 44 years in 1980.
The famous deli provided groceries, canned goods and meat for local families. During the 1940s, wagons of fresh vegetables from nearby farms were wheeled in and out of the store, where ice cream was sold at roll-up windows during the summer evenings.
Penny candies were also popular purchases by local children. Long Island Lighting Company employees could pick up sandwiches en route to their shifts at the local plant on Beach Street.
In later years, both porches were enclosed for the sale of Easter plants each spring, while holiday trees and greenery were displayed for shoppers in December.
Sandra Swenk is a charter member of the Port Jefferson Historical Society. She served as mayor of the Village of Port Jefferson from 1971 to 1977.
Due to its low-lying topography, the Port Jefferson Fire Department’s station is frequently inundated. Former Mayor Mike Lee suggests this location is inadequate for effectively servicing the public.
Downtown Port Jefferson is coping with longstanding flood concerns, which could intensify in coming years.
During an April 5 climate resilience forum at Village Hall, local architect Michael Schwarting reported that the village’s blend of low-lying topography, subsurface water bodies and rising tides will likely produce even greater flooding risks. [See story TBR News Media website, April 13.]
“Those three things interact with one another to cause the problems that we’ve been having in the past, are still having and will have in a worse way, according to predictions,” Schwarting said.
— Photos by Aidan Johnson
Mike Lee, former mayor of the Village of Port Jefferson, chronicles the past, present and future of Port Jeff’s water challenges.
Mike Lee, former mayor of Port Jefferson who served from 2005 to 2007, is now ringing the alarm over the village’s flooding problems. In an exclusive interview, Lee chronicled the area’s historic water challenges.
Drowned Meadow
Before the 19th century, nearly all of the existing downtown was a salt marsh. The tides would flood the marsh twice daily, giving the area its name, Drowned Meadow.
Lee considers the waters running in and around Port Jefferson an inherent feature of the area’s natural character. And while the land was eventually renamed Port Jefferson, its natural essence remains unaltered.
“It’s easy to change the name, but it’s hard to change the terrain,” Lee noted.
One of the few remaining patches of unfilled marshland in downtown Port Jefferson, above.
Infrastructure
An elaborate underground stormwater drainage network serves the area, Lee explained, describing the covert system built around the 1930s as “one big tunnel” channeling stormwater from all directions toward Port Jefferson Harbor.
The area’s patchwork of hills exacerbates the flooding problems downtown as the stormwater flows downward into the low-lying areas.
As downtown developed over time, the impermeable surface area multiplied exponentially. For a place originally named for its flooding issues, development slowly removed vital escape routes for floodwaters to discharge naturally.
“There’s too much restriction” now within the drainage system, Lee said. “So much of the area that would have the normal penetration of water has been [converted] to roofs, parking lots, driveways, roads.”
He added, “It doesn’t have the natural absorption.”
One central covert, seen above, channels the bulk of the area’s floodwaters into Old Mill Creek.
During major flood events, the stress on the stormwater network is most pronounced near Port Jeff’s fire station on Maple Avenue, one of the lowest elevations.
“This is what we’ve come to,” Lee said in the Port Jefferson Fire Department’s garage, pointing to an amphibious high-water rescue vehicle the department requires to leave its station. “I call it ‘The Drowned Meadow Express.’”
“If you’re going to serve the public, you have to be able to get through the puddle,” he added.
Coined ‘The Drowned Meadow Express,’ PJFD requires this high-water rescue vehicle to leave the fire station during flood events.
Possible solutions
Lee indicated that while the fire department has coped with the flooding challenges over time, its current headquarters building is becoming increasingly untenable.
During a May 1 public hearing on code possible changes for the Maryhaven Center of Hope property on Myrtle Avenue, multiple residents proposed relocating the fire station to higher ground.
Lee, an ex-chief of PJFD, concurred with this assessment. “As an emergency service, how can we not be capable of serving the public,” he said.
Lee suggests there are other ways to help resolve the water challenges. He proposed that developers “stop doing what you’re doing,” in terms of increasing impermeable surfaces.
Up the easterly hill at Port Jefferson Country Club, the village recently received a $3.75 million grant from the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency in hazard mitigation funds to help stabilize the East Beach bluff.
Lee suggested policymakers explore similar grant opportunities to address flooding.
“I think if FEMA is going to put money into infrastructure, it should do it where it affects everybody,” the former mayor said.
Despite centuries of water troubles, Lee maintained the village could overcome some of its challenges with proper governmental initiative.
He encouraged officials to give flooding the appropriate attention, concluding that on the list of local priorities, “It should be right on the top.”
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