In a significant step towards recovery from the record rainfall and flooding that devastated the region on August 18-19, the Village of Head of the Harbor and the Town of Smithtown entered into an intergovernmental partnership to build a temporary access road off Emmet Drive. The first major recovery project completed in the aftermath of the storm, will allow previously stranded residents to return to a semblance of normalcy at home.
“We are incredibly grateful to Town Supervisor [Ed] Wehrheim and Highway Superintendent [Robert] Murphy for their quick action, partnership and commitment to building the road in such a short time…
Village Chief of Police Chuck Lohmann and Building Inspector Bob O’Shea, out of concern for the seven vulnerable families who had been served by Mill Creek Road, have been strong advocates throughout this process, ensuring the Village does everything possible to allow those families to remain in their homes. We are now thrilled to be able to rescind the emergency evacuation order that had been previously served,” said Village Mayor Michael Utevsky.
Wehrheim, together with Lohmann and Murphy, worked together with Utevsky, O’Shea, and Village Engineer Dan Falasco to construct a temporary road restoring access for seven homeowners along Mill Creek Road. The privately owned road suffered catastrophic damage, in addition to a large chunk of Harbor Road, which was also washed away by the storm.
“We come together in times of need and today is an illustration of our unflinching commitment to our neighbors, some of whom can now rest easy, safely in their homes tonight,” Wehrheim said. “The Town of Smithtown administration, together with our Highway Department led by Robert Murphy, immediately offered assistance to the Village in the aftermath of record rainfall. We committed our full support in doing everything possible in partnership with our neighboring Head of the Harbor Village. With the completion of this temporary access road, the Village is now able to rescind the emergency evacuation order, allowing residents to remain in their homes safely and as we approach colder weather. I’m deeply grateful to Mayor Utevsky, Chief of Police Lohmann, our Highway Department and most of all the Residents who all came together to help their neighbors through a time of crisis.”
The Smithtown Department of Highways began work on September 25 to build a 1,000-foot temporary access road from nearby Emmet Drive, crossing neighbors’ property to ensure the seven vulnerable families served by Mill Creek Road could access their homes. Falasco assisted in the designing the road, ensuring it met emergency access requirements while respecting the wishes of the neighboring property owners who provided access. Construction was approved to move forward just one week after the decision was made.
“This is the job… and it’s why we all get up and go to work in the morning,” Murphy said. “This project is symbolic of our steadfast commitment to the community at large, that we will rebuild and emerge stronger and more resilient. We will complete each storm recovery and infrastructure initiative until the very last sump is clear, the last storm drain is inspected and our ecological restoration is sound.”