Town Nixes Battle on the Bay

A proposal to shift the Battle on the Bay from Patchogue to Sayville failed to receive approval from the Islip Town Council Tuesday night.

The resolution failed when no one on the five-member council made a motion to approve. Had the council given its approval, the boat race would have been held from August 26 to August 28 in the Great South Bay stretching from Sayville into Brookhaven Town.

Town Supervisor said the council had a number of concerns about the  event, the most pressing being security and safety.

“I met with the and fire departments on Monday and each had some logistical issues and concerns about the event,” he said.

Nolan said fire department officials were concerned about needing to establish a waterfront command post for the race while at the same time having the ability to respond to possible emergencies in other parts of Sayville.

Other issues of concern for the town council were the amount of traffic that would be generated by Battle on the Bay and other events such as the annual Seafood, Craft and Music Festival scheduled the same weekend at the .

officials were hopeful that the event would lead additional business for local merchants.

“We really want the race in Sayville,” Bill Etts, first vice president of the Sayville Chamber of Commerce told council members prior to the vote. “We know what it did for businesses in Patchogue and we feel this would promote business in Sayville.”

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