Assemblyman Joe DeStefano (R,C-Medford) is proud of the state’s $10 million Green Resiliency Grant awarded to the Town of Brookhaven for major drainage and stormwater upgrades in downtown Mastic Beach. DeStefano emphasized that this award is the culmination of years of coordinated advocacy, planning and on-the-ground collaboration across every level of government.

“For years, we’ve been fighting to secure real, lasting flood mitigation solutions for Mastic Beach. This $10 million investment is an important win for our community, and it reflects the persistence, coordination and unified effort of the many partners who’ve been working together toward the same goal,” said DeStefano. “I’ve been proud to lead the bi-monthly stakeholder meetings, keep these conversations active and keep every project moving. These meetings ensure that the people and agencies who can make a difference stay focused and engaged.”

The Mastic Beach stakeholder meetings, started long ago by former Congressman Lee Zeldin, later led by Sen. Alexis Weik and taken over by DeStefano in 2022, have brought consistency and structure to a community that has long struggled with flooding and infrastructure challenges. DeStefano credited the partnership of Sen. Dean Murray as essential in helping advance the funding.

“I want to especially thank Sen. Dean Murray for standing shoulder-to-shoulder with us throughout this entire process,” DeStefano continued. “From day one, he made it clear that Mastic Beach needed and deserved this investment. When we worked together to elevate the urgency of these stormwater projects, the state listened.”

“The Tri-Hamlet area has seen its share of flooding and water damage over the years and as we continue to move forward with the Mastic Beach redevelopment project, it's important that we remain committed to focusing on the issues of flooding, drainage and storm water runoff.” said Murray, “This $10-million Green Resiliency Grant that is being awarded to the Town of Brookhaven, is truly an investment in the future of Mastic Beach. I applaud everyone who worked together to make this $10-million investment possible.”

The stakeholder meetings convene a large coalition of agencies and organizations, including the Town of Brookhaven Highway Department, where Deputy Supervisor Steve Tricarico has been crucial in advancing the upcoming Pier One Marina drainage project; the Town’s Stormwater Management team; Congressman Andrew Garbarino’s office; Senator Dean Murray’s office; Legislator Jim Mazzarella Councilwoman Karen Dunne-Kesnig; Suffolk County Economic Development & Planning; Suffolk County FRES/OEM;; the Mastic Beach Property Owners Association; Mastic Beach Conservancy; Save the Great South Bay; The Nature Conservancy; the Mastic Beach Fire Department; and environmental, community and civic partners. Representatives from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, FIMP, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation and Sen. Gillibrand’s office have also participated.