Local town projects and a look ahead

Brookhaven Town councilwoman Karen Dunne Kesnig has been hard at work in 2024, with a lot of attention paid to Main Street beautification efforts in downtown Center Moriches.

“My office worked closely with the Center Moriches Downtown Beautification Organization and the chamber of commerce, researching new garbage cans for Main Street that would be more functional, but still have the appropriate look and feel,” she said.

A total of 27 cans were purchased and ordered and are now in hand; installation is expected in the coming months.

In addition, Dunne Kesnig’s office worked with the Highway Department to plant several street trees along Main Street in Center Moriches that were missing.

Dunne Kesnig and supervisor Dan Panico said they are also “extremely proud” of the work that the town board did in significantly increasing fines for illegal rentals for repeat offenders.

“This is one of the single most important issues that my office deals with on a daily basis, one that can plague a neighborhood,” Dunne Kesnig said of her area.

Also, this year, the town installed a new playground at Webby’s Beach in Center Moriches.

“[It] was a long time coming, and has been met with rave reviews,” she said. “This is a beautiful beach that is enjoyed by many families and their children.”

Goals for 2025 include:

Dunne Kesnig said she is starting to look at the Presbyterian Church on South Street and Wading River Road in Manorville, which was designated as a historic landmark in Brookhaven Town.

“I applaud Dan Panico’s efforts when he was a councilman in preserving this landmark,” she said. “I am now working with our town historian and Parks Department to get some work done on this property so that it can remain a treasured landmark.”

The town also recently installed a historic landmark sign at this location.

One of the major issues she said she hopes to continue to address in the new year is illegal dumping.

“This continues to be a major issue throughout the Town of Brookhaven, which is why fines have been significantly increased and cameras installed in many places to help deter dumping,” she said. “I will continue to fight illegal dumping and encourage constituents to report it.”

To report illegal dumping to her office call 631-451-6502.