Smithtown Town to Borrow $4.2M for Hauppauge Industrial Park, Sandy Costs

Smithtown Town officials have gotten over their previous reluctance to borrowing money to make necessary road improvements. 

Smithtown Town Board voted unanimously to bond out $4.27 million for roadway improvements at Tuesday's town board meeting. Supervisor Patrick Vecchio said $1.2 million will go towards road work and lighting improvements in Hauppauge Industrial Park and $3 million to reimburse the Highway Department for Hurricane Sandy related costs. 

"We simply didn't have the money and I don't think the Highway Department has done work there [in Hauppauge Industrial Park] in many years," Vecchio said. 

The Hauppauge Industrial Park Advisory Committee reached out to town officials in May asking them for $800,000 in roadway improvements and $300,000 for street lighting. They expressed concerns over expressed concern over the hazardous road condition in the park including potholes that can no longer be patched; lack of road striping for turning arrows, lane separations or shoulder lanes. 

"We're extremely excited because the industrial park is a major economic engine to the Town of Smithtown," said Terri Alessi-Miceli, president of the Hauppauge Industrial Association of Long Island. "They are finally giving it attention, which is great. The roads haven't been repaved in I can't tell you how long." 

Alessi-Miceli said she is hopeful all the roads in the Hauppauge Industrial Park, which spans Hauppauge and Commack, will be repaved between the town's efforts and repaving after county work to expand sewers in the park. 

The other $3 million of the bonded funds will go to the Highway Department, according to Vecchio, to help reimburse them for funds tapped during Hurricane Sandy. The town spent more than $7 million cleaning up debris after the storm. 

Vecchio said he hopes after conversations with state Rep. Steve Israel, D-Dix Hills, the town will see that money reimbursed by FEMA in the coming year. 

"If our worksheets are in order, which they are - FEMA has actually complimented [Glenn] Jorgensen - we will see the money in August," Vecchio said. 

Smithtown Town Board's agreement to borrow $4.2 million demonstrates a change of opinion on the board. The town board has repeatedly rejected Highway Supervisor Glenn Jorgensen's $10 million plan - bonding out $5M for two consecutive years - to tackle long-standing roadway issues and outstanding sidewalk complaints.