Town Hall Notes: Refurbished Restrooms for West Main Street

The public comfort station on West Main Street – a gift from the Lions Club in 1970, but closed for years and allowed to fall into disrepair – will soon be completely renovated and reopened, thanks to a $60,000 grant from Suffolk County’s Downtown Revitalization Program.

The grant was made official Tuesday when the Town Board authorized Supervisor Sean Walter to execute an agreement with the county spelling out the details of how the money will be spent.

According to Walter, the grant was actually approved four years ago, but when the town sought bids from private contractors to do the work — including making the building handicapped accessible — the lowest bid came in for more than $100,000, and the Town Board  decided not to spend $40,000 of the money that would be needed.

A proposal for a community garden just to the east of the shuttered comfort station   prompted Walter  to look into whether the town itself could undertake the necessary repairs at a lower cost.

At Walter’s request, town engineer Ken Testa drew up a set of plans and concluded that the work could be done by his buildings and grounds crew at a cost that would not exceed $60,000.

County Legislator Ed Romaine, R- Center Moriches, then submitted a request to have the grant reinstated and informed the town last month that his request was approved.

A fence around the Roots and River Community Garden is already in place and plots have been reserved by residents. A dedication ceremony expected to take place later in the month.

No left off Kroemer Avenue?

Motorists driving north on Kroemer Avenue would no longer be able to make a left turn onto Route 58 under a traffic plan drawn up by the county in preparation for the opening of a Wal-Mart super store on the northwest side of the intersection.

Motorists on Kroemer would also not be allowed to travel straight across Route 58 to enter the parking lot of Applebee’s restaurant.

In presenting the scheme at a public hearing Tuesday, Bill Hillman, chief engineer at the county’s Department of Public Works, explained that without the restrictions, too many different traffic signals would have to be put into use, creating traffic jams on an already crowded Route 58.

Several residents spoke out against the proposal, including Ken Lebohner of Aquebogue, who argued that a right-turn-only off of Kroemer would be a great inconvenience to motorists wanting to head west. Councilwoman Jody Giglio said the restriction would be a particular inconvenience for residents of Wading River.

Walter kept the public hearing on the plan open for written comments until May 18.

Finally, a taxi code

The Town Board at last passed a long-time pet project of Councilman John Dunleavy, an Dunleavy has for years argued that tighter controls were needed to protect residents who rely on cabs, senior citizens in particular.

In a 5-0 vote, the board on Tuesday approved a 16-page, single-spaced local law that, among other things, calls for yearly random drug tests for all taxi drivers.

For the first time, drivers will also have to apply at the town clerk’s office for a special license, bringing with them a number of documents, including a physician's statement that they are physically and mentally fit for the job.

Drivers will also be fingerprinted by the police department, with prints sent to Albany to be checked for previous violations.

In reviewing a draft of the ordinance last month, all five board members said they were against regulating fares, and so the new law places no restrictions on what cabs may charge. However, a rate schedule must be clearly visible.