Ten months ago, catastrophic flooding devastated areas on the east end of Long Island.
August storms brought historic rainfall to Stony Brook, where floodwaters destroyed a century-old dam that supports Harbor Road and Grist Mill Pond.
As the anniversary of the destruction nears, locals are frustrated that the work has not been done yet to repair the damage. That anger brought hundreds of residents out to the site on Saturday to protest the inaction and hopefully bring about some progress.
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"The road continues to fall apart. The pond is a pit of muddy sludge and we remain disconnected from our Stony Brook neighbors as our main thoroughfare is totally impassable," said rally organizer Beth Zweig.
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SIGN UP Some 300 people rallied in the afternoon, many holding colorful signs, to demand elected officials fix the crumbled mess of asphalt and dirt.
"Public safety is a real issue," Stony Brook resident Arthur Griffin said. "Ambulances have to get in, fire trucks, police cars."
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The repair work isn't near completion. It actually hasn't even begun due to a dispute over ownership.
At a news conference on Friday, Brookhaven Town Supervisor Dan Panico said the Ward Melville Heritage Organization, formerly known as the Stony Brook Community Fund, owns the road and as such, is the only party able to sign for FEMA disaster funding.
"People are upset. We share their frustration," Panico said.
The president of the Heritage Organization says ownership is not clear, but argues that the town should maintain the road.
"The Town of Brookhaven has paved the road, posted regulatory signs on the road, plows the road," Dr. Richard Rugen, chairman of the foundation, argued Saturday.
Panico, meanwhile, reaffirmed his position at the rally and said that while FEMA will only cover 75% of the rebuilding, the town would cover the rest.
"We are willing to pay the other 25% to make sure the owner of the property doesn't have to come out of pocket," Councilman Jonathan Kornreich said.
While entities battle over who actually owns the road, the idea of eminent domain was brought up -- an idea that could potentially allow for the state or county to buy up the road and start fixing it right away.
"The liability and the risk you face by doing nothing far exceeds the risk and liability of doing something," Zweig said.
