Brookhaven fight to remove Eastport billboards will go to trial

Brookhaven Town's charges that a pair of Eastport billboards are illegal will go to trial next month.

Suffolk County District Court Judge James P. Flanagan said the trial would start Oct. 25 in Sixth District Court in Patchogue.

Brookhaven officials have charged property owner CMVW LLC with violating a 2004 town law that bans billboards on town roads. The signs are located at the northeast corner of Montauk Highway and Seatuck Avenue and on Old Montauk Highway near a tavern.

Deputy town attorney David J. Moran said Brookhaven wants the signs removed "as an issue of health and safety."

Ray Negron, an attorney for CMVW, said the town had issued a certificate of compliance for the billboards in 1972, and he said the town sign law was thrown out in a previous case he brought against the town.

“Why the town is spending taxpayers' money proceeding with a case when they know the case is false, I don’t know,” Negron said.

Moran said the town has appealed a decision to dismiss part of the case.

Brookhaven officials said a third billboard that they believe is illegal is on property that is expected to be developed as part of the Sun River Town Homes housing project in Manorville.

The property owner has agreed to remove the billboard before donating the land to Brookhaven to be preserved as open space, town officials said.

By Carl MacGowan

carl.macgowan@newsday.comCarlMacGowan

Carl MacGowan is a Long Island native who covers Brookhaven Town after having previously covered Smithtown, Suffolk County courts and numerous spot news and feature stories over his 20-plus year career at Newsday.