Public hearing set for Tuesday on Wyandanch sewer line

The town of Babylon will hold a public hearing for a planned sewer line for downtown Wyandanch.

The hearing, which was scheduled during a special board meeting last week, will be held Tuesday at 10 a.m. at Town Hall in Lindenhurst. At the meeting, the town also approved bonding for $5.5 million for sewer costs in Wyandanch. In May, the town board approved bonding for $9.5 million for Wyandanch sewers.

The town said sewers, estimated to cost $18 million, are an integral part of its planned Wyandanch Rising redevelopment. The sewer line would consist of two parts: one running to the downtown and another to the town's ashfill. The town said it plans to use $2 million in grant money for the downtown section and $3 million from its garbage district fund to connect to the ashfill.

Supervisor Steve Bellone said the bonding is intended as security for funding from the state Environmental Facilities Corp., which provides low-cost financing for infrastructure projects. The town previously applied to the EFC for $14 million for the sewer line but learned in January it did not make the first cut. The town then submitted additional documents and lowered its request to $9.5 million but is now asking for the highest amount possible, $15 million, Bellone said.

If the town does not receive enough funding from the EFC, Bellone said, it will look into other grants.