Lindenhurst takes steps to complete repairs to its marina building

The Village of Lindenhurst is inching closer to completing repairs and modifications on its marina building that was damaged more than two years ago during superstorm Sandy.

The Charles J. Cowan Marina, on the southern tip of Wellwood Avenue, was first damaged by Tropical Storm Irene in 2011 and workers had just finished making those repairs when Sandy hit in October 2012.

The storm flooded the marina building and the electrical system was under 2 feet of water, causing severe damage. In an effort to prevent similar problems with future storms, the village decided to create a small electrical room and elevate the electrical system by several feet, while at the same time making the building's office larger and bathrooms smaller. The village aims to complete the work by the middle of the month, clerk-treasurer Shawn Cullinane said.

The village spent $1.1 million in repairs, of which $1 million was covered by insurance, Cullinane said. The Federal Emergency Management Agency approved another $118,000 in reimbursement, he said, but the costs of the building work was $159,850 and it's not clear if FEMA will reimburse for the remainder. "But we expect the vast majority will be covered," he said.

This winter's frozen waters also impacted mooring poles near the marina. There were 48 poles -- at the Village Marina and at a mooring area off Shore Road -- that were elevated or pulled out of the water completely. The latter had to be captured and reset over concerns they would float out into the Great South Bay, Cullinane said. Some poles did hit the dock but didn't cause any damage. After rebuilding the marina due to Sandy, he said, "We've been fortunate that we didn't get any subsequent damage."

Because of safety concerns and in order to avoid a delayed start to the boating season, the village spent $9,481 to quickly secure the poles. "We knew there was a lot of work out there, we knew the dockworkers were being stretched," due to damage at numerous marinas, he said of their decision to treat it as an emergency repair.

Once the building work is done, all Sandy-related marina repairs will be complete, Cullinane said. The parking lot needs to be repaved, he said, but the cost wouldn't be covered by insurance or FEMA so the village first needs to find funding.

By Denise M. Bonilla

denise.bonilla@newsday.comdenisebonilla

Denise Bonilla has worked at Newsday since 2003 and covers the Town of Babylon, including the villages of Lindenhurst and Amityville.