North Shore Sun

More than 14 months after LIPA and Suffolk County reached a tentative agreement to build a 12-mile recreational trail on an abandoned railroad track from Wading River to Port Jefferson, it appears the project has hit another major snag.

Missing language the county would like to see added to the contract is preventing the parties involved from reaching a formal agreement, according to Suffolk County Legis. Dan Losquadro (R-Shoreham).

"It's literally one sentence right now that everything is hinging on," Mr. Losquadro said.

That one sentence relates to the procedure LIPA would follow in the event it wished to tear up the trail to move existing power lines. There is no language in the current agreement that prevents the power authority from tearing up the trail without permission from the county, even though it would be the responsibility of a government entity to secure funding necessary to replace the trail.

The county attorney's office requested Friday in a letter to LIPA that the following sentence be added to the language of the agreement: "Should the county be asked by LIPA to move or remove the trail for any reason, the county will do so only if state or federal funding is available, in full, to pay for such moving or removing of the trail."

Mr. Losquadro said LIPA has not yet responded to the request. LIPA's media relations department did not return phone calls seeking comment for this story.

The local rails-to-trails effort has been a passion of nearly 10 years for Setauket resident Mike Cosel, but LIPA's liability for having the project built out on its right-of-way had stalled plans for the trail until a tentative agreement was reached in January 2009.

Proponents of the trail have envisioned its becoming a popular destination for city dwellers, who would be able to take the Long Island Rail Road to Port Jefferson and bike along the trail to access the Pine Barrens, as well as a recreational attraction for local residents who want to walk or bike in safety.

If a formal agreement can be reached, Suffolk County would be responsible for developing, supervising and maintaining the trail, which would connect to a 3.5-mile section of property between Port Jefferson and Setauket that LIPA does not own.

The now defunct eastern end of the Long Island Railroad's Port Jefferson line once ran parallel to Route 25A east to Wading River, just north of Wading River Elementary School on Wading River-Manor Road. The eastern spur has not been used for more than half a century. LIPA has erected high-tension lines there along the right of way.

After Mr. Cosel, in 2001, first proposed the idea to create a paved recreational trail over the abandoned rail line, the idea began to gather steam. The county department of public works drew up plans for the project, and $2 million in federal money was secured to help finance it.

Then just last summer, Rep. Tim Bishop (D-Southampton) said he had secured another $7.5 million for the project.

One major problem is that none of that funding will be released by the State of New York until a formal agreement is reached.

"The feds are not going to give us the money if LIPA can just rip out the trail tomorrow," Mr. Cosel said.

Mr. Losquado said he hopes the latest holdup is not a stall tactic by LIPA because it doesn't wish to follow through on the rails-to-trails plan.

"Being that the language [of the agreement] is so close, I really think it's time for LIPA to fish or cut bait," Mr. Losquadro said.

gparpan@northshoresun.com