$4.3M sewer project kicks off to connect Bay Shore condo complex with Suffolk system

Construction has started to connect a Bay Shore condominium complex with the Suffolk County sewer system, a project that lawmakers and community leaders say has been "a long-time coming."

The $4.3 million project will end ongoing maintenance of the “current failing system” for the 170-unit Lexington Village Condominium complex, “which had been a costly and untenable expense for residents,” Islip Town Supervisor Angie Carpenter said in a statement. 

The sewer connection also “addresses an environmental concern by cleaning up the water being discharged into the grounds and provides a more sustainable development,” she said. 

Kevin Smith, president of the board of managers for Lexington Village, said it has taken decades to move forward with the project. 

"This is good not only for the environment, but for the community," he said.

Carpenter said that a property manager first reached out to her about replacing the treatment system when she was a county legislator in the '90s. The Lexington community was not "in a position to fund the upgrades," she said.

In 2005, Islip Town began the work to create a taxing district to fund the improvements, she said.

The Town of Islip and Suffolk County are each contributing $700,000 to help kick off the project, which is projected to cost more than originally anticipated. The project will be covered through municipal funding at no cost to Lexington Village, where most residents receive public assistance, according to a news release.

Construction is expected to take around eight months, encompassing the removal of the property’s existing sewage treatment system, as well as connection to the county sewer system.

By Brianne Ledda

brianne.ledda@newsday.com@brianne_ledda

Brianne Ledda covers personal finance and affordability for Newsday. She previously covered Southold and Greenport for The Suffolk Times and is a graduate of Stony Brook University.