Angie Carpenter, in Islip state of town speech, touts shellfish hatchery, MacArthur airport plans

Islip Supervisor Angie Carpenter, in her second-to-last State of the Town address, touted numerous multimillion-dollar projects expected to advance before closing out her final term at the end of next year.

The initiatives range from a new oyster production facility to a divisive project that could be potentially legacy-defining for Carpenter: the expansion of Long Island MacArthur Airport.

“One day, 100 years from now, when we are likely gone — that’s a pretty sure bet — how will future Islip residents remember our time here and what we did?” Carpenter said Tuesday. “Now is our time to shape the future of this great town and to decide where we want it to go.”

Islip Town expects to start taking bids this year from developers who are interested in building a new shellfish hatchery in East Islip, near the town’s current shellfish facility, according to town spokeswoman Caroline Smith.

Carpenter said Tuesday that a $10 million grant the town received from New York State in 2024 would make the facility possible.

She said the hatchery will coincide with the rollout of about 1,500 more acres of land for Islip’s bay bottom leasing program, which allows shellfish farmers to rent space where they can harvest oysters and clams.

“When this facility is complete, Islip Town will be the biggest producer of oysters in the entire state of New York,” Carpenter said Tuesday.

The new facility is expected to produce as many as 200 million juvenile clams and oysters, according to the state’s website.

The upcoming year is more uncertain for Islip’s airport expansion project, however.

The initiative involves building an upgraded terminal that could accommodate additional flights and connect the airport with the Long Island Rail Road station in Ronkonkoma, to the north.

Islip asked developers to bid on the contract last April and gave them two project options to choose from: build a new terminal at the airport’s north end or revamp the existing southern terminal.

Developers had to make their pitches by Jan. 28. Islip Town hasn’t released information about what companies applied, but the town’s plan was to select a developer this year and clear the way for construction to begin on the airport next year.

Carpenter made a push for construction of a new north terminal during her speech. She described that plan as a chance to have a private developer fund a new terminal, which would allow the airport to continue functioning with its existing terminal during construction.

“To not take advantage of this opportunity is short-sighted,” Carpenter said. “Yes, we have an existing terminal, but it is one we are going to have to continually renovate and improve at airport cost, and with potential delays, disruptions and inconvenience as we do the work.”

Councilman John Lorenzo, who has long been skeptical about whether constructing an entire new terminal is justified, told Newsday he believes a new bid process involving Suffolk County should happen before the project moves forward.

The county owns land to the north of the airport that would connect with the airport expansion project.

It’s unclear how long that new bidding would take, but Islip’s current process began 11 months ago.

“This is not something we should rush into as a town,” Lorenzo said. “For my district, this is something that needs to be done right and planned out properly with the right experts in place.”

Check back for updates on this developing story.

By Sam Kmack

sam.kmack@newsday.com

Sam Kmack covers the Town of Islip for Newsday. He is a graduate of the University of Southern California and previously worked as a city watchdog reporter in the Phoenix metro area, as well as an investigative journalist at the Arizona Center for Investigative Reporting.