The Island-wide sewer conversation now lands in Central Islip, as elected and community officials convened off Carleton Avenue last Thursday to unveil grant money earmarked for sewers and the ongoing revitalization project for the hamlet’s business district.
Elected officials from all levels of government gathered for the groundbreaking ceremony to celebrate $12 million secured to connect the business district to the Suffolk County sewer system.
Despite political conversation being dominated by sewers for the last few months, this project has been a few years in the making. New York State awarded the Town of Islip $10 million as part of the Central Islip Downtown Revitalization Initiative (DRI) in 2018. A portion of that money will be used to sewer the business district.
The plan will connect sixty-four parcels in the hamlet’s business district along Carleton Avenue, extending from Suffolk Avenue to Smith Street. The project is expected to be completed in eighteen months.
The event was headlined by County Executive Steve Bellone (D-West Babylon), who has been credited with prioritizing wastewater solutions during his twelve-year tenure, as well as Deputy County Executive Peter Scully, who has earned the nickname the “Water Czar” for his own efforts and experience in wastewater management.
“We know water quality underpins our quality of life, our economy, and why people live here to a great extent,” said Executive Bellone. “It’s also about economic development, job creation, and communities being able to realize their vision for the future. Here, you have had a town working together with the community to put forth that vision. Without that, it doesn’t matter about the infrastructure or the plans. If you don’t have that community vision, support, and drive, you’re not going anywhere. That has not been the case here.”
“This is about the community. I want to say congratulations to all the community members here who have worked so hard. This is a beautiful, beautiful community and we have so many dedicated organizations making this community what people want it to be. Without them, we wouldn’t be standing here today.”
Islip Town Supervisor Angie Carpenter (R-West Islip) thanked representatives from the state, county, and town levels for their consistent efforts in securing the grants. She also highlighted just how long securing the money took, noting that persistence has been key:
“We got the grant in 2018, but you have to add another three years. It took three swings at the bat to get that home run. I went before the [New York State Department of Economic Development] Board a third year after they denied us twice. Someone said ‘Supervisor, do you have any other comments that you would like to make?’ I said, ‘This is my third time here. I sincerely hope you say yes, but if you don’t, I’ll be back next. I guess they were tired from hearing from us, and we did get that $10 million.”
Carpenter also discussed how the COVID-19 Pandemic delayed the DIR project further:
“Unfortunately, COVID reared its ugly head. People asked what happened to the money, and now we’re finally seeing it happen today. Between COVID and supply chain issues, it is absolutely wonderful to finally see this incredible project move forward with really no cost burden to our taxpayers.”
Carpenter envisions a strip that features a variety of shops and ethnic restaurants, comparing Central Islip to Española Way in Miami with “charming little spots.” She believes that, in the same way, people will “come from all over Suffolk County and Long Island to visit this wonderful community of Central Islip.”
Executive Bellone commended Supervisor Carpenter for her persistence in helping secure the funds for the DIR.
Phil Ramos (D-Brentwood), Deputy Speaker of the New York State Assembly, representing the Sixth District, discussed how connecting the downtown to sewers will not only allow for better development, but the money will continue to circulate within the community:
“For everyone in Central Islip, it’s truly a proud day. Some people don’t realize the significance of having a sewer district here. We can only develop our downtown so much without sewers and proper infrastructure. This is going to be a catalyst that’s really going to lift up Central Islip and lift up this downtown. When people come from Sayville or Huntington to spend their money here, the home-grown businesses take that money home to pay their landscapers, and then those landscapers go to buy milk for their kids.”
Ramos also praised the bipartisanship that produced this end result:
“This is a classic case of a bipartisan effort, and it shows what happens when we leave politics out of it. There are no Republican sewers, there are no Democratic sewers. We just have to do it.”
County Legislator and Presiding Officer Kevin McCaffrey (R-Lindenhurst) of the Fourteenth District mentioned the dual-sided issue of sewer infrastructure:
“It’s a great day here in Central Islip, this was the missing piece of the puzzle in the revitalization effort. Sewers will not only bring economic development that flows throughout every community they’re installed in, but it also protects our drinking water, surface water, and beaches, and all the things that people want to live in Suffolk County. In the Suffolk County Legislature, we are committed to make sure that we have that long-term funding and that we meet all the needs for clean water in Suffolk County. This is a great example of what we can do when we work together.”
County Legislator Sam Gonzalez (D-Brentwood) of the Ninth District: “To say that this is a happy day, I think, is an understatement. This is a very proud day, because, ladies and gentlemen, Central Islip is on the map. We have the foot traffic here and that is only going to continue with the revitalization, with all the restaurants and cafés and areas people can come and visit. You’re going to see something here in Central Islip that I don’t think has been seen in this County, and it’s just the beginning.”
Matthew Aracich, President of Nassau and Suffolk Building Construction and Trade Council (NSBCTC), discussed how work opportunities developed now can lead to an ironclad, dedicated workforce for developments tomorrow:
“When this project starts, it’s actually workforce development, which most people think is just training people to do work and that’s it. It’s not that; workforce development starts with infrastructure and making sure that you get people with middle-class careers with safety, health benefits, and pensions. The idea is that they’re middle-class individuals who can live in these communities in that area that we’re going to be building. That’s where partnerships really take place.”
Aracich also spoke of the multi-faceted objectives of the project:
“For the next project, these people are your next army. These are the next people in the community advocating for more work, projects, and downtown revitalizations, because that’s the important piece to make sure we can provide more housing and sewers. Clean water is the key to making sure you can attract business here, for restaurants and high-occupancy residents. That’s why I beg everyone that they support all the referenda for sewers that they can.”
After the speeches, the group moved to the hard hats and shovels to formally “break ground” on the project.
Additional attendees included, but are not limited to: Islip Town Councilman Jim O’Connor (R-Great River); Islip Town Councilman Jorge Guadrón (D-Central Islip); Joe Brown, Commissioner of Suffolk County Department of Public Works; John Walser, Executive Director of Islip Town Industrial Development Agency; Nancy Vargas-Johnson, Board President of the Central Islip Civic Council; Carla Simpson, Board Secretary of the Central Islip Civic Council; Beverly Rivera-Drummond, Board Member of Central Islip Civic Council; Debbie Cavanauagh and Andrea Hicks, Central Islip Coalition of Good Neighbors; Mike Florio, CEO of Long Island Builders Institute (LIBI); Marc Herbst, Executive Director of the Long Island Contractors Association (LICA); Eric Alexander, Director of Vision Long Island; and Theresa Bryant (R), candidate for the Ninth District of the Suffolk Legislature.
