Brookhaven To Host Virtual Workshop On Town's Local Waterfront Revitalization Plan For The North Shore

FARMINGVILLE, NY — Residents, business owners, and community stakeholders will be able to participate in a virtual public workshop to learn about Brookhaven Town’s long-term plan for the waterfront as part of its Local Waterfront Revitalization Program on Sept. 30, officials said.

The purpose of the workshop is to keep the public informed regarding the program and schedule, as well as provide an overview of proposed projects.

The interactive session will include a presentation by
the consultant team and interactive polling, as well as a question-and-answer session afterward. The information gathered from the activity will help with the preparation of the program.

The program, which is developed through community engagement, identifies future projects and programs and serves as a regulatory tool that tailors state coastal policies and local regulations to reflect community priorities.

Key objectives of the town’s North Shore component of the program include improving and expanding public access to the waterfront, strengthening coastal resiliency to address flooding, rising sea levels, bluff erosion, enhancing and protecting water quality, and resolving conflicts between recreational and commercial waterfront users.

The town previously prepared the South Shore component of the program, which will be combined with the North Shore component, resulting in a plan for both the north and south shores.

Future engagement activities will be scheduled to gather input about the program.

The program is being prepared with funding provided by the state's Department of State under Title 11 of the Environmental Protection Fund.

The LWRP is being developed by the Town of Brookhaven and guided by a Waterfront Advisory Committee.

The process is being facilitated by a consultant team led by MJ Engineering, Architecture, Landscape Architecture, and Land Surveying, P.C., and supported by Bay Environmental Consulting, Captain Consulting, and Andropogon Associates.

Registration for the workshop, which will run from 6 to 8 p.m. over Zoom, is not required.

Councilman Jonathan Kornreich, whose district includes the North Shore, said that the program "presents a valuable opportunity to create thoughtful policies for our waterfronts."

"Very often, the best ideas come from residents who have firsthand experience, and I encourage members of the public to share their ideas at our upcoming workshop," he added.

Councilwoman Jane Bonner, whose district also includes North Shore, said the area's "coastline is some of Brookhaven’s most valuable natural resources, vital to both our environment and our way of life."

"The LWRP gives us a roadmap to safeguard water quality, address erosion and flooding, and ensure that future improvements reflect the priorities and values of our community," she added.

Supervisor Dan Panico called the North Shore's waterfront "a community treasure, adding that the LWRP "is our chance to safeguard it and create a shared vision for the years to come.