Sustainable. We chose the term “sustainable” for our party to represent our goals of maintenance and preservation through balance. The Sustainable Village Party is dedicated to sustaining our harbor, our homes and landscapes, our history, our open spaces, our safety, and our fiscal health. While all of these are important and laudable, they do not always align, and can at times even counter each other. We believe that maintaining all these elements that make the Head of the Harbor special requires a careful balancing of competing considerations in open deliberations of policy issues.
Goals:
- Rebuild Harbor Road. The portion of Harbor Road that collapsed in the hurricane of August 18-19, 2024 lies about 20 feet beyond the Village’s boundaries, in the Town of Brookhaven. This is a major access road for residents of the eastern half of our Village and is a critical route for emergency services. The rebuilding of Harbor Road has been stalled by a dispute between the Town of Brookhaven and the private, non-profit Ward Melville Heritage Organization as to ownership of the road to satisfy FEMA requirements, as well as uncertainty about the other technical requirements for FEMA reimbursement of 75% of the repair costs. It appears that the stakeholders are now prepared to move ahead jointly without FEMA and its requirements, using other funding sources. However, the details are not yet in place. Rob Kent is an experienced real estate developer who has built dams and bridges and has collaborated with many municipalities. He will work with Mayor Utevsky to work jointly with all parties to rebuild Harbor Road, as well as the Stony Book Mill Pond.
- Reduce Damage from Stormwater Runoff. Our Village is at the bottom of a large bowl, which results in storm water running down from highways and properties on the high ground through our yards and along our roads into Stony Brook Harbor. We have seen yards and driveways wiped out, deep gullies created along the sides of our roads which threaten to undermine the pavement, and pollutants flowing into the Harbor. We intend to continue the efforts of Mayor Utevsky, the Village Highway Department, and the Mayor’s Infrastructure Planning Committee, to provide new storm drains, maintain existing drains and create permanent, multi-jurisdictional improvements to mitigate the effects of stormwater on our Village and Harbor.
- Restore Public Access to Stony Brook Harbor. All Village residents once had three public roads and rights of way that allowed them access to Stony Brook Harbor for walking, boating, fishing, and other recreational activities. They are highlighted in our Village’s Local Waterfront Revitalization Program (LWRP). We now have none. We will work to restore access in a manner that does not create undue security concerns.
- Strengthen Village Finances. Our Village Surplus Fund is now hovering close to the minimum amount that is considered prudent by the State. In part, this is the result of repairs of storm damage, for which we expect to receive FEMA reimbursement. It is also the result of increases in the costs of personnel, pensions, insurance premiums, and other matters over which we have little control, while tax increases were kept unreasonably low by previous administrations. Rob Kent will bring his experience in real estate finance, and as Treasurer of The Old Field Club, to assist us with improving our balance sheet. and creating a long-term plan for replacing our capital equipment as needed.
- Modernize our Village Laws. There have been few updates to our Village Code in the past 30 years, and many of our laws are unrealistic or outdated. We must modernize our laws to balance the need for preservation of our historic landscapes and homes with modern lifestyles. Mayor Utevsky and Village Attorney Brian Egan have already begun the process of updating the Code by, for example, enacting a new section that regulates the installation of solar panels so that they are less intrusive in our viewshed, and another section that permits deer fences while regulating their appearance and setbacks from the road. We will continue these efforts.
- Maintain Resident Safety.With thanks to our police and code enforcement, Head of the Harbor remains a very safe place to live. We will continue to work with our Village police and code enforcement, to make sure our Village Laws are updated, and that they have modern equipment and the tools needed to enforce our laws and to protect our residents, schools, and visitors.