HIA Asks Town for $1.2M in Road Improvements to Industrial Park

Hauppauge Industrial Park businesses have asked Town of Smithtown officials to search their pockets to come up with $1.2 million in desperately needed roadway improvements. 

The newly formed Hauppauge Industrial Park Advisory Committee of the HIA-LI has reached out to town officials asking them for more than $800,000 in roadway improvements with another $300,000 for street lighting. 

"Upgrades to the Park infrastrcuture are imperative," said Terri Alessi-Miceli, president of the HIA-LI. "The building owners, business owners and employees in the park deserve to drive on safe roads." 

The Hauppauge Industrial Park Advisory Committee expressed concern over the hazardous road condition in the park, saying it averages a complaint a week about several issuse: potholes that can no longer be patched; lack of road striping for turning arrows, lane separations or shoulder lands; and lack of lighting.  

The industrial park roads, which are in the towns of Hauppauge and Commack, is regularly traveled on by its 55,000 employees and visitors. The Hauppauge Industrial Park generates more than $19 million of the town's annual tax revenue. 

Councilman Thomas McCarthy spoke in favor of borrowing funds to pay for the $1.2 million in repairs at the town board's May work session.

"The HIA pays an enormous amount of taxes and fees to all municipalities, we can't have them without lighting and with potholes," McCarthy said. 

Supervisor Patrick Vecchio said while he was against Highway Supervisor Glenn Jorgensen's proposal to bond out $10 million over two years to catch up with the town's roadway and sidewalk complaints, he would be in favor of seeking bonds for this project. 

Smithtown Town Board has not taken any official action on behalf of the industrial park as of the May 24 town board meeting.