Move plan for LIRR rail yard at Lawrence Aviation site forward

For years, a key step in the dream of electrifying the Long Island Rail Road’s Port Jefferson branch and establishing a modern and more convenient station has been stymied by the failure to establish a rail yard on the former Lawrence Aviation Industries property.

The primary reason: Concern over the state-owned Greenway path that runs through the property and the notion that the state Department of Transportation could turn the Greenway into a highway spur for Route 25A.

The notion of transforming the Greenway into a highway was never real. There are no plans for such an undertaking, nor any contemplated scenario that would require one. But the far-fetched idea has single-handedly stopped progress again and again. First, it was the state Department of Transportation that acted as a roadblock, pushing for a bridge to be built and assurances that a highway could be constructed — even though there were no plans to do so. Then Suffolk County Executive Ed Romaine raised last-minute objections last year, suddenly expressing concerns regarding the highway. This was after county lawmakers had reached an agreement to resolve the issues.

The convoluted situation has meant that state, county and Metropolitan Transportation Authority officials have been unable to complete a deal that ultimately would allow the MTA to buy the land for just $10 from the Suffolk County Landbank. The squabbling has set modernizing transportation in the region back years.

Fortunately, Assemb. Rebecca Kassay hasn’t given up trying. After convening the key players earlier this year to determine the best way forward, Kassay introduced legislation to direct the state transportation commissioner “to grant a perpetual conservation easement” over the property. That would both prevent any housing, commercial or roadway development along the Greenway and require the preservation of the land “in its natural, scenic, and open space condition.” Under the legislation, the Greenway would be designated for “passive recreational use,” such as trails, walking paths and environmental education.

Importantly, the legislation provides for the option of rerouting the Greenway if necessary for future infrastructure improvements, assuring that acreage and public recreation won’t be lost. That’s key to getting the rail yard done.

This should resolve everyone’s worries. Romaine, long a supporter of LIRR electrification, should get behind the effort, as should state DOT officials. And those who’ve tried to make this an election year issue — including Kassay’s opponent who has incorrectly suggested she “tried to put a highway over the Greenway” — should embrace a realistic path forward that preserves open space while spurring improved rail public transit — and an economic boost.

Kassay will need a state Senate sponsor, and must garner support from fellow lawmakers and Gov. Kathy Hochul to move the legislation through the Albany labyrinth by June. That won’t be easy, especially on a topic that’s already a local political cudgel.

The relocated Port Jefferson station and track electrification should not just be sirens’ lure. If Kassay pushes forward, and state, county and MTA officials get on board, Lawrence Aviation might finally be on the right track.