Brookhaven Community to get a makeover, continuing coordinating six-month clean-up effort across Brookhaven Town

Supervisor Mark Lesko (right) with Councilwoman Connie Kepert (second from right), Traffic
 Safety and Street Lighting Director Lynn Weyant (left) and Department of Traffic Safety
 crew at the launch of Operation Clean Sweep in Farmingville.

Farmingville, NY – On Monday, October 24, Supervisor Mark Lesko and Councilwoman Connie held a press conference in Farmingville to launch the sixth “Operation Clean Sweep,” a coordinated program spearheaded by the Town’s Quality of Life Task Force with the goal of improving the quality of life throughout Brookhaven. The press conference was held at 33 Woodmont Place, the site of a former fire damaged, half completed house that was recently demolished. After working closely with the Quality of Life Task Force to eliminate the blight, the property owner is now constructing a new home on the property.

The Operation Clean Sweep target area in Farmingville is bordered on the north by Horseblock Road, the south by Expressway Drive North, the east by North Ocean Avenue (CR83) and on the west by all the cross streets that intersect Hanrahan Avenue.

Supervisor Mark Lesko said, “We have touched all corners of Brookhaven Town with Operation Clean Sweep, and Farmingville is our sixth clean-up effort. The Quality of Life Task Force will continue to crack down on serial offenders of our Town code and work to eliminate residential blight like what existed on 33 Woodmont Place. Operation Clean Sweep will further improve the quality of life of Farmingville residents.”

"It is my pleasure to bring Operation Clean Sweep into the community of Farmingville, an area in which our Law Investigators and the Building Department have focused on since I've been in office. The efforts of the Town have transformed areas which were once impacted with overcrowded housing and the blight which follows, to well-maintained neighborhoods. On our bus tour we found brush along the roadside, missing street signs, and property maintenance violations. We will be addressing all of those issues during Operation Clean Sweep," stated Councilwoman Kepert.

Over the course of this week, Town employees will fix streetlamps, pick up litter, install new street signs, and conduct other activities to help clean up the neighborhood.

Supervisor Lesko established the Quality of Life Task Force to aggressively enforce the Town code, eliminate blight in neighborhoods, shutdown suburban slumlords, and prosecute serial offenders. Between 2008 and 2010, fines levied on code enforcement violations increased by 255%. Fines are levied through tickets issued to property owners with properties that have seriously unsafe or hazardous conditions.

At the request of Supervisor Lesko and the Town Board, the New York State Office of Court Administration established the Brookhaven Community Court in 2010. It is a special court that is part of the Sixth District Court in Patchogue dedicated to handling proceedings alleging violations of Brookhaven town ordinances and affecting the quality of life of local residents.

The five previous Operation Clean Sweeps were in Council District 3 in Selden, Council District 2 in Rocky Point, Council District 6 in Mastic, Council District 5 in Medford and Council District 1 in Port Jefferson Station. If residents believe that a property is in violation of any Town of Brookhaven codes, they can call (631) 451-TOWN to file a complaint.

Before and after photos of the property at 33 Woodmont Place, location of the launch of Operation Clean Sweep in Farmingville.

Division of Public Information * Office of the Supervisor
One Independence Hill • Farmingville • NY 11738 • Phone (631) 451-6595 • Fax (631) 451-6258