Several years' worth of efforts took physical form recently when land was cleared at a memorial park on the corner of Sound Avenue and Park Road, marking a preliminary step in the lot's transformation.
The four acres which currently sites a memorial to firefighter Tommy Kelly, who died on Sept. 11, was almost developed into a commercial plaza until county officials stepped in to purchase the land. Riverhead Town, as part of the preservation agreement, will do work required - mostly clearing and paved walking paths - to convert it to a park, and stay on top of upkeep.
The lot was cleaned up a couple weeks ago, removing poison ivy and thorn bushes that surrounded the standing memorial, said Sound Park Heights Civic Association President Eric Beigler. Deputy Supervisor Jill Lewis said the town hopes to have a kick off to commemorate the beginning of the project - which will eventually hold five or six parking lots and walking paths - sometime near Memorial Day Weekend.
Kelly was one of seven members of Engine 219, Ladder 105 who died during rescue missions on Sept. 11. He and his brother Bob - who helped support the effort to create the park - came out to Reeves Park with their family growing up from their permanent Queens home.
Bob, who lives full time in Riverhead now - as did Tommy at the time of his death - wrote on Patch previously that he would like to commemorate not only his brother at the park site in the long term.
"My desire and that of my friends and family would be to have a 9/11 memorial park/garden in honor of the almost 3,000 lives that were lost that day, and the folks who worked down there and have passed along as a result of their efforts."
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