$25 Million Secured By Senator Flanagan For Kings Park Psychiatric Center Approved

Senator John J. Flanagan (2nd Senate District) announced that the $25 million in state funding for the environmental cleanup of the Kings Park Psychiatric Center site has been approved by Governor George E. Pataki. The funding, which Senator Flanagan secured during budget negotiations, will greatly decrease the cost of future remediation of the site.

Senator Flanagan had the funding included to ensure that any future development of the KPPC site proceeds in the best interest of the residents of Kings Park and the Town of Smithtown.

"This is a great victory for the residents of this area and for the entire Long Island region. The environmental impact of Governor Pataki's decision to authorizethis funding will allow the future of KPPC to be placed in the control of the local community where it belongs," stated Senator Flanagan.

With the state funding now secure, Senator Flanagan will continue working with the Town of Smithtown, the residents of the community and area environmental leaders to discuss the possible future for the site. These discussions will center on minimizing the size of any potential project and the impact that such development would have on school district enrollment, local roadways/infrastructure, and property taxes.

In January, Senator Flanagan worked with the area residents to gain the cancellation of a contract which proposed to build an 1,800 unit development, which all agreed was unacceptable to the surrounding community. The securing of $25 million for remediation costs now allows any future development, either by a private or public entity, to dramatically avoid such high density.

"Open space preservation is vital to our entire region and this funding will allow more of our land to be left for parkland and community use. This is a great win for the Kings Park community, a great win for the Town of Smithtown and a great day for the State of New York," added Senator Flanagan. "Due to the efforts of the community, the future of this site will be the future that the people of Kings Park and Long Island deserve."