Governor Kathy Hochul signed legislation on July 6 to permanently preserve open space and the Setauket-Port Jefferson Station Greenway Trail. The legislation, sponsored by Senator Monica R. Martinez (D-Brentwood) and Assemblymember Rebecca Kassay (D-Port Jefferson), will also facilitate the transfer of 40 acres on the former superfund Lawrence Aviation site in Port Jefferson from the Suffolk County Land Bank to the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA).
Hochul said this will secure the long-term future of the site and support the potential future development of a railyard in connection with the electrification of the Long Island Rail Road’s (LIRR) Port Jefferson branch.
“For decades, the future of the Lawrence Aviation site remained in doubt, leaving an entire community uncertain about the status of the beloved Setauket-Port Jefferson Station Greenway Trail and the long-term prospects for cleaner and faster electrified LIRR service,” Hochul said. “Today, we are stating once and for all that this greenway will remain for generations to come. This common-sense deal will preserve the greenway in perpetuity and ensure that when a project is ready to further electrify LIRR service, this site will be secured and ready to expedite that work.”
The Lawrence Aviation property, previously home to an aeronautic sheet metal manufacturing plant, was designated a Superfund site in 2000. In 2025, full cleanup of the property was completed, allowing for green space use and potential limited development. Through the conveyance of a conservation easement by the New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT), this legislation ensures that the permanent future of the property will not include a roadway, while preserving the widely used bike and pedestrian greenway.
In addition, the legislation would retain the MTA’s rights to, if future needs arise, construct a new railyard for the Port Jefferson branch of the LIRR. Construction of a new railyard would be a necessary step towards the full electrification of the branch in the future. In the event of railyard construction, NYSDOT would relocate both the greenway and the existing conservation easement elsewhere in the parcel to preserve this critically important green space.
“Decades ago, the Department of Transportation made a commitment that this land would play an important role in the future of Long Island,” Martinez said. “The Setauket-Port Jefferson Station Greenway Trail has become the embodiment of that vision, and this conservation easement secures its permanent protection while preserving opportunities for future improvements intended to strengthen our region’s transportation network.”
State Senator Anthony H. Palumbo, Esq. (R-New Suffolk) said preserving the Greenway Trail in perpetuity “has been of great concern to our community for decades and we can now put residents and stakeholder’s minds at ease. This bipartisan legislation strikes a balance between preserving an important environmental and recreational space, and ensuring that future infrastructure needs to one day electrify the Long Island Railroad’s Port Jefferson line become a reality. I thank the Governor and my partners in the Legislature for their support in ensuring that the Greenway is preserved, and look forward to the positive community and environmental impacts that will be enjoyed for generations to come.”
Assemblymember Rebecca Kassay (D-Port Jefferson) called the trail “a treasured community asset that connects our neighborhoods, schools, businesses, and natural spaces. Residents of all ages enjoy this corridor as a place for recreation, connection with nature, and safe non-motorized transportation.”
In addition, Kassay said, the bill “resolves a longstanding land use conflict, allowing for forward motion with adjacent efforts to modernize the Port Jefferson rail line to deliver a one-seat ride and cleaner air for local residents. Altogether, Governor Hochul’s signing of this legislation reflects New York State’s commitment to our local environmental conservation efforts, furthering of clean transit goals and improving the quality-of-life for our neighbors.”
“This bill sets the stage for progress and preservation at this critically important location,” Suffolk County Executive Ed Romaine added. “The MTA acquisition will allow for our mass transit system in Suffolk County to look towards expanding service.”
Suffolk County Legislator Steven Englebright (D-East Setauket) said this was “landmark legislation,” adding it “will preserve our communities’ critically important recreational green space while ensuring the vitality of our business districts and quality of life for generations to come.”