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The Pieces of the Puzzle to Form a Downtown
by Marilyn WilsonAt the 2002 Visioning Sessions, local youth decide what is important to their future.In one way or another planning designs for Montauk Highway in Mastic and Shirley have been in the works for the past 20 years. But this time its for real, say elected officials.
One part of the project - the highway re-design itself, will be presented to citizens at a public hearing to be held on November 17 at 5:00 pm at the William Floyd Middle School on Moriches Middle Island Road in Moriches. According to Suffolk County Legislator Pete OLeary, the public will have the opportunity to view two options for the roadway expanse spanning west to east from William Floyd Parkway to the Forge River. They are basically the same designs, OLeary explained, except that one option includes round-abouts and the other does not.
Arriving at the public hearing date was a difficult figurative road - one paved in obstacles and disagreement. This important step - the highway re-vamping itself - is the direct result of the input of the residents themselves, said Brookhaven Town Councilman Ed Hennessey.
In the winter of 2002, several hundred residents of the tri-hamlets of the Mastics and Shirley braved the winter chills to tour the 1.7 mile stretch of roadway. Traffic was often at a standstill, haphazard strings of businesses located in motley buildings were punctuated by empty lots dotted with litter and illegal signs - all the result of poor planning or worse yet, none.
Through a Brookhaven Town grant, consultants were retained to develop a clear and focused unity of what the community envisioned for its downtown business district.
Pictured l to r: Suffolk County Legislator Pete OLeary, William Floyd Community Summit President Beth Wahl and Brookhaven Town Councilman Ed Hennessey look over plans for the corner of William Floyd Parkway and Montauk Highway which will include a park and a statue of William Floyd.The missing ingredient of the past has been the lack of a clearly communicated vision, Hennessey said. In conjunction with the county road work, the opportunity was ripe to create a pedestrian, shopper- friendly downtown.
The workshops led to three central neighborhood centers. It was determined that 1.7 miles was just too long to be walkable, said Beth Wahl, president of the William Floyd Community Summit, one of the community groups actively involved in the Montauk Highway Project.
Three distinct main street districts were identified as: the Shirley Main Street District centered at McGraw Street and Grand Avenue; the west Main Street District of Titmus Avenue and Montauk Highway; and the East Main Street District of Herkimer Street and Montauk Highway.
The Montauk Highway Corridor Study and land use plan calls for the roadway being redeveloped and improved as a boulevard with raised landscaped medians, two-way, single traffic lanes, bicycle lanes on both sides of the roadway, curbs, sidewalks, street trees and decorative streetlights. Some intersections will require traffic signals and at critical intersections, crosswalks are provided.
The entire project, which includes the installation of dry sewer lines for future anticipated use, will cost $19 million which is to be paid in increments by the county which would receive 80% reimbursement by the federal government.
After the public hearings in November, there will be a 30 day period for public comment before the DPW decides upon the adoption of either road improvement plan. OLeary said the final design plans should be completed by the end of 2005 and work for the anticipated three year project could begin in 2006.
The roadway itself is just one part of the puzzle to complete the vision set forth in 2002 by a concerned community. The South Shore Press will explore those many puzzle pieces in future issues. Next week: Going Back in Time to Create a Downtown.
