Op Ed: Future Nature Preserve Requires Town Attention

The following letter to the editor/op-ed piece was written by Ed Silsbie. It was posted by Judy Mottl.


A homeless camp, overflowing with trash & roughly 10 troubled souls occupied a corner of Blue Point for over two years.  Not really the sort of housing we were promised years ago.  

Many remember the discussions swirling around the former “Patchogue United Artists Theater." 

Tough economic times have kept Ornstein Layton Company’s “The Vineyards at Blue Point” from breaking ground on the approved 55+ housing project.   

After several calls to Brookhaven Town trying to clean things up produced nothing we placed a call to the owners.

Amazingly they got the camp and much of the mess cleared in days.  They’ve also keep up with dumping at the old Theater entrance, on Sunrise Hwy.  

As the economy heats up we all hope the project will soon get underway.  Once it’s really going we’ll see about half the site become our Nature Preserve. Most every trail, tree, wetland, etc. on the site will be ours to enjoy.  

While Ornstein Layton is doing a good job of keeping the Sunrise Hwy. part of the site tended to the southern portion’s suffering from ongoing dumping and ATV access. 

Many in the area hope to see this area, the heart of the Nature Preserve, equally well cared for.  

We are thankful for the swift work of Ornstein Layton Company in getting the homeless camp removed and hope/pray that the former occupants are getting the help they need.    

Ed Silsbe
Local resident, serving as president of the Blue Point Community Civic Association.
Co-director of the Tuthills Creek Alliance, a local adhoc committee.