It’s official: Dredging is set to commence in the South Ferry channel.
The Suffolk County Legislature voted unanimously on June 17 to approve funding for dredging of the South Ferry channel between North Haven and Shelter Island at the general meeting of the Legislature in Riverhead, according to Suffolk County Legislator Jay Schneiderman.
The resolution amends the 2014 capital budget and appropriates the funding for the project, authorizing the issuance of $2,048,500 in serial bonds; $750,000 will be reimbursed by state aid and $1,298,500 will be county funding.
Dredging projects are typically funded by Suffolk County, Schneiderman said, adding that state aid was incorporated for the upcoming dredging project since South Ferry is a part of the New York State Route 114 Highway — the New York State multi-modal program will provide the $750,000 in aid from the state.
Shoaling has been occurring near the terminals for years making it difficult for the ferry to operate safely without hitting the bottom at low tide. The project has been complicated by the presence of underground utilities that stretch across the bay bottom from North Haven to Shelter Island, Schneiderman said.
LIPA, Verizon and Cablevision all have buried infrastructure in the area where dredging will occur, he added; extra measures must be in place to protect the utilities from damage that could result from the dredge operation.
As for a timeline, Schneiderman said it is unclear if all, none, or only a portion of this project will commence during the current dredge season. The window approved by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation is October 1 to January 15.
A meeting was held in Riverhead on July 7 to resolve these issues and to expedite the dredging project. Representatives from LIPA, PSEG, Cablevision, Verizon, and Suffolk County Department of Pubic Works met with Suffolk County Legislator Jay Schneiderman, Assemblyman Fred Thiele and Senator Kenneth LaValle.
