Cover credit – Mastic Beach Plan (Credit – The Beechwood Organization)
The Mastic Beach area has been a subject of major projects and redevelopment over the last several years. From over $200 million poured into Forge River Watershed Project, to a brand-new bridge to Smith Point, to a Downtown Revitalization Initiative (DRI) for downtown Mastic Beach, the area is experiencing significant changes to propel it fully into the Twenty-First Century.
For context, the Forge River Watershed Project is expected to mitigate decades of nitrogen pollution from septic runoff into the ground and surface waters, as well as preserve the crucial wetlands that act as natural storm barriers and breeding grounds for endangered species and organisms that help the vibrant kelp industry.
The project is also expected to be an economic boon to the Mastic Beach area, allowing for a proper downtown revitalization to expand the scope of local businesses and attract more commerce to the area. The master plan for the area announced two years ago hopes for a walkable community on Neighborhood Road and Commack Road to Doris Drive.
The Mastic Beach area is also in the eye of the hurricane as far as coastal resiliency is concerned, with Suffolk County having applied to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) FEMA Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) for the county’s coastal resiliency initiative.
On September 27, Governor Kathy Hochul (D) signed the pair of bills S.9035A and A.9887A into law. The legislation now permits the Town of Brookhaven to alienate specific parklands to develop a wastewater treatment plant in the Beechwood Community.
“The revitalization of downtown Mastic Beach has been a top priority for community leaders, residents, businesses, and elected officials on all levels of government, for years,” said Senator Dean Murray (R-East Patchogue), the sponsor of the Senate bill. “I’m thrilled that our legislation will allow the Beechwood Organization’s project to advance with the construction of a much needed sewage treatment plant that will benefit the entire community. I’m very excited to see how this project will revitalize, not only the Neighborhood Road Corridor, but the entire community as a whole.”
The Jericho-based Beechwood Organization, ranked as the top residential builder in New York State for two years, was selected by the Town as the master developer of the project.
“This legislation is a significant step towards making the revitalization of Mastic Beach’s Neighborhood Road Corridor a reality. It paves the way to treat wastewater from the proposed development and in a way that ensures water quality in nearby bays and estuaries. The construction for this needed sewage treatment plant will benefit the community at large,” said Steven Dubb, Principal and President of the Beechwood Organization.
“Thank you to our legislative colleagues and Governor Hochul for supporting our efforts to bring sewer service to the Mastic Peninsula,” said Assemblyman Joe DeStefano (R-Medford), the sponsor for the Assembly bill. “Getting residents off cesspools has been a critical environmental goal for over a half-century, and we’re finally seeing the necessary actions to make it a reality. Our water resources are the lifeblood of this community, and I’m glad to see that the plan to protect them is moving forward.”
“The availability of sanitary capacity holds the keys to unlocking the redevelopment potential across our region. In this case, the needed redevelopment potential in downtown Mastic Beach can only be achieved through the creation of an STP, as there is no alternative hook up elsewhere,” said Supervisor Dan Panico (R-Center Moriches). “Therefore, this alienation bill helps achieve that purpose and we are hopeful that NYS will be a partner in the redevelopment effort with additional funding for this and other needed infrastructure projects in the future. I thank Senator Murray, and his staff, for their advocacy.”
“The alienation of this land for the sewer treatment plant is a crucially important step in moving forward with the Neighborhood Revitalization Project. We are grateful to our partners in New York State government for seeing this through,” said Councilwoman Karen Dunne Kesnig (R-Manorville).
“Suffolk County is committed to working with all levels of government with the goal of expanding sewers into Mastic Beach and the Neighborhood Road business district. This sewer expansion is not just an investment in clean water infrastructure, it is a step toward spurring economic development and community revitalization,” said Suffolk County Legislator Jim Mazzarella (R-Moriches).
