Injured military veterans to get reserved parking at Brookhaven Town Hall

Brookhaven is set to become the second Long Island municipality to reserve prime parking spaces for military veterans.

Parking stalls at Town Hall in Farmingville and other town facilities would be marked by purple stripes and signs designating the spots for vets wounded in combat. The town board is to vote on the plan Thursday night.

Brookhaven would join the Village of Islandia, which this summer established a veterans-only parking spot at its Village Hall.

"It really comes down to meeting the needs of our veterans," said Brookhaven Councilman Dan Panico, who sponsored the reserved parking stall resolution. "We have a lot of injured combat veterans who have spilled blood for our country. . . . We owe it to them, and I think it's something everyone can get behind."

Disabled veterans also have the right to use handicapped parking spaces at town facilities. Officials said the new reserved parking slots are a symbolic gesture that honors veterans for their service.

Veterans said they appreciated the initiative and hoped more towns and businesses follow suit.

"I can't think of a better project," said Rich Kitson, 69, a retired former Marine who lives in Port Jefferson Station and is Suffolk County chapter president of the Vietnam Veterans of America. "I've always found this town to be very sympathetic towards veterans who are disabled, and it doesn't surprise me that the town is trying to extend more spots to veterans who are injured, in light of the fact that they are coming from this horrible war in Afghanistan and Iraq."

Brookhaven will not have to pay for the signs, which will be provided free by the Omaha, Nebraska-based nonprofit Wounded Warriors Family Support. The organization, which provides services for wounded vets and their families, has given more than 1,000 such signs to businesses and municipalities in 43 states since the program began three years ago.

Brookhaven would be the first location on Long Island, and the first municipality anywhere in New York, to use the organization's signs.

"This is not so much about convenience for somebody to get to a store," said former Marine Corps Col. John Folsom, 62, founder and president of Wounded Warriors Family Support. "Someone comes to their car, maybe they're thanked."

Panico said drivers who are not wounded veterans face fines if they use the reserved parking spots. "I don't foresee any issues," Panico said. "It would be one of the most disgraceful acts for people to park here who don't belong."

Although he was not injured and is not eligible to use them, Patrick Donohue, 34, of Islip, an Afghanistan War veteran who serves on Brookhaven's Veterans Services Committee, said the designated parking slots are "pretty cool."

"Any new, innovative way to show gratitude or to make life easier is awesome," Donohue said. "Sometimes it's just the simple things."

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.