Community Watchdog

I live a The Colony at Holbrook, a gated community on Furrows Road. We’ve been told the reconfiguration of the intersection at Patchogue-Holbrook Road (CR19) and Furrows Road would be started in 2006. This is a very dangerous and heavily traveled intersection. Another project, which was promised even longer ago, is drainage improvements to Furrows Road between CR19 and Nicolls Road (CR83). Nothing has been done. What’s going on?

The two road-improvements projects are still in the cooker, but it’ll be a while before they are completed because both require three land parcel acquisitions by Suffolk County Public Works and the Town of Islip Department of Public Works.

“Normally, it takes up to three years for us to acquire property,” said Bill Hillman, chief engineer for the county, which is handling the $1 million reconfiguration project at CR 19 and Furrows Road. “When you deal with eminent domain and condemnation laws, it’s a huge process.”

Hillman said the acquisition process, which began last year includes a 4-foot wide parcel on the northwest corner owned by a shopping center, another parcel owned by an adjacent homeowner and a parcel belonging to Mamma Lombardi’s restaurant.

The project will widen Furrows Road to provide a left-turn lane, one through-lane and one right-turn lane on the eastbound and westbound approaches to CR19. The county expects to break ground by 2011, he said. “We certainly recognize the need to enhance traffic flow at this busy intersection,” Hillman said.

The Town of Islip is finalizing land acquisition for the drainage project, which includes a rectangular piece of property east of The Colony’s entrance and two small privately owned parcels located on the south side of Furrows Road and west of the entrance to the community.

As part of the project, a new sediment basin will be constructed that will contain retention wells to allow water to filter down from the road to a recharge basin connected to the underground pipe network.

The town expects to file a right-of-way certification to the state next month, which will state that the town has acquired, or is close to acquiring, the three properties. The town then must await a review by the state Department of Transportation.

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Just an additional comment regarding LI street signs.

It would seem to me that safety should be a top prioriy in view of the increase in traffic accidents
In NJ, they have a sign and a turnaround at major intersections.Not possible to do here, of course. But the bext best thing would be more specific signage way in advance of the exit or major cross street to enable drivers to have enough time and clearance to make their move to get over safely, without cutting of another vehicle.

We have noticed more & more that the signs are RIGHT at the turn off & not far enough ahead.
Aren't lives worth the resaerch & money more than things like Trump on the Ocean, which local governments seem to have plenty of time to dispute?

--Suzanne Germaine, Massapequa Park

See Sunday's column for more comments.

Last week, we asked readers what they think about overhead street signs and if street signs should be bigger.

Dozens of readers said YES to overhead signs and bigger ones. State and county officials agree that overheads would be helpful to drivers. But don’t expect to see an explosion of them at Long Island intersections anytime soon.

The state has a handful of them on Route 110 and Route 25. State Department of Transportation spokeswoman Eileen Peters said, “We do consider them, if it’s appropriate and there’s no conflict with utilities in the area. We do install them where it’s feasible and appropriate.”

Mostly, the state uses advance street signs before major intersections, a system also used by Nassau County.

Gilbert Anderson, Suffolk Public Works Commissioner said the county follows federal highway signage regulations, but if a request was made for an overhead sign at a particular intersection, “We would consider it.”

Nassau Public Works Commissioner Ray Ribeiro said there’s no argument overheads are effective. But with undergound cables, utilities, sewers and other obstructions, it’s almost