Statement from Senator John Flanagan on Signing of Kings Park Alienation Legislation

I am thrilled Governor Cuomo signed into law the parkland alienation legislation I carried, which will allow the capital funding I secured for sewer upgrades in Kings Park to move forward.

The bill's approval is long overdue.

In the 2017 State Budget, I was able to secure $20 million in funding for the installation of long awaited sewers in downtown Kings Park. This legislation was needed to enable the Town of Smithtown and County of Suffolk to build and operate a sewer pump station linked to the project on town property.

I passed the bill in the Senate twice in 2018, with overwhelming bipartisan support.  Unfortunately, the Assembly did not even bring the bill up for a vote in 2018. The Assembly forced the residents of Kings Park to wait another year before this critical infrastructure project could begin.

Make no mistake: the Assembly played politics with a project whose economic and environmental benefits to our community are undeniable. The $20 million in funding and sewer pump station are critically important to downtown revitalization, future economic growth, and essential for the removal of commercial septic tanks and cesspools that pose a significant threat to Long Island's groundwater.

I am glad that reasonable heads finally prevailed this year and the Assembly passed the bill. This was - and is - all about doing what is right for the residents and businesses of Kings Park.

I thank the Governor for signing this important bill into law, and I am grateful the project can now proceed.