Old Field Residents Grill Board Over Unplowed Roads, Potholes

Residents of Old Field Village came out Tuesday night to blast the village board over the lack of plowing and pothole maintenance in the village, which is creating a hazard for many of the locals.

According to trustee and streets/roads commissioner Ted Rosenberg, the onslaught of harsh winter storms, which dumped several feet of snow on the region, has destroyed roads, with Old Field Road, Quaker Path and Blueberry Ridge being hit the hardest.

But many of the roads have not been plowed at all, which had a representative from local civic organization the Crane Neck Association concerned for the elderly residents who have been unable to leave their homes, a sentiment the organization has heard echoed by many.

Old Field Mayor Michael Levine said some of the unplowed roads the residents are referring to are private, adding that it is against the law for the village to use tax money to plow a private road. The Town of Brookhaven has indicated it may stop plowing village roads without compensation in 2012, at which point Levine said the village would either have to hire Brookhaven or an independent contractor to plow.

For roads that have been plowed, the fluctuation in temperatures has let moisture absorbed by cracks in the roads freeze and melt again, causing major potholes. Cars that hit these craters on the road risk major damage to tires and suspension systems. But for the village, the costs of repairing are high.

“Would you like me to spray paint the potholes so they look nice?” Rosenberg said.

The village has tried to tackle the cost issue, and authorized the local government to draft a plan for road improvements and maintenance in the village, with an estimated cost of $100,000. The bid package has not been produced yet, but Levine said progress will be made, although it does not cover private roads.

“We’re not going to ignore the problem, we will address it,” he said.

Levine said Thursday that pothole repair will commence as soon as the weather starts warming, but that the underlying problem is the overall condition of the village's roads, which he described as "antiquated." He estimates that repaving all village roads would cost about $1.5 million – well over the village's entire budget of $922,400, which was approved in January and takes effect March 1. Village treasurer Andrea Brosnan said that budget includes $55,000 for street maintenance, including pothole repair, cleaning the catch basins, and other items.

"The patching of the potholes will temporarily repair the problem. What repairs the problem for good is repairing the roads," Levine said. "But we just don't have the money to do the roads."

Although a lack of plowing on private roads left some unfortunate residents unhappy, others have found help when they needed it. One attendee shared how trustee Jeff Owen came to plow him out as soon as he called.

“I appreciate the fact that we work as a team in this village,” he said.