A year after a torrential storm washed away the Harbor Road dam, cutting off Head of the Harbor from Stony Brook, reconstruction remains stalled by an ownership dispute.”
The dam collapsed last August when nearly a foot of rain pummeled the North Shore, overwhelming drains and flooding homes. Rushing water cut through the aging structure, draining the popular Duck Pond and leaving a gaping hole where the road once stood. Built centuries ago to power a colonial mill, the pond is slowly reverting to its natural state — with some naturalists welcoming the change and others lamenting the loss of the bucolic basin.
Residents expected swift repairs, but rebuilding quickly bogged down. Brookhaven Town and the Ward Melville Heritage Organization have cited conflicting property records over ownership of the dam and the length of Harbor Road that ran on top of it. The uncertainty has delayed applications for disaster funding, since only the responsible party can apply. Both sides have conducted title searches, which town officials say prove the Heritage trust as the owner.
The stalemate has left lingering problems. The bridge once served as a vital connection for residents, emergency vehicles, and commerce. Now drivers face detours on narrow village roads, and Stony Brook businesses report fewer visits from across the harbor.
Signs urging a resolution to the impasse have popped up throughout the community, prodding the parties to settle their competing claims.