An abandoned camper and mobile home that had blighted the Long Island Expressway Park & Ride in Farmingville since October have finally been removed, ending months of disgust for commuters and residents who endured the deteriorating structures.
The cleanup was the result of an effort involving the Suffolk Police Department’s Sixth Precinct, the state Department of Transportation, the Town of Brookhaven, and the office of Assemblyman Joe DeStefano.
The abandoned structures had become an annoying eyesore at the heavily traveled commuter lot, with mattresses, debris, and other materials accumulating around the site.
According to Sixth Precinct Community Support Unit Sergeant Joseph Vella, the removal process took months because multiple agencies had to coordinate the legal, environmental, and safety requirements associated with the abandoned vehicles.
“These two were obviously abandoned, so we were able to have them removed, but it took a long time because it went back and forth between the Sixth Precinct, the Town of Brookhaven, the DOT, and other agencies,” Vella said. “The Sixth Precinct was able to get it done through our work with the DOT and our agency liaisons. Everyone stayed engaged until we found a safe solution.”
Before the camper could be demolished, a cesspool company had to be brought in to pump out its sewage holding tank. DOT officials determined it was too hazardous to transport and instead demolished it on site. The abandoned mobile home was removed by tow truck and taken to a DOT yard, where it will be dismantled after petroleum-based fluids are safely removed.
Assemblyman DeStefano praised the agencies involved for finally resolving a problem that had lingered for more than eight months.
“This had become an annoying eyesore for local residents and everyone who uses the Farmingville Park & Ride,” DeStefano noted. “While the process took longer than anyone would have liked, public safety and environmental concerns had to be properly addressed. I want to thank Sergeant Vella, the Sixth Precinct, and the DOT for sticking with it and seeing the job through.”