Developers seek support for tunnel to Westchester

By SUSANA ENRIQUEZ | susana.enriquez@newsday.com

5:30 PM EDT, August 13, 2008

In an effort to rally support for a proposed 16-mile tunnel under Long Island Sound that would link Nassau and Westchester counties, developers held a meeting Wednesday with a Suffolk County legislative committee.

The meeting is the latest one that Garden City developer Vincent Polimeni said he has had with officials in the region with the hope that they will support the project and write letters to Gov. David A. Paterson requesting that he seriously consider the project.

"We have done this presentation -- I lost count how many times," Polimeni said. "I need the governor on board because the state owns the land we want to go under."

The tunnel between Syosset and Rye would carry up to 80,000 cars each day. Its cost of $10 billion would be privately funded.

Suffolk Legis. Wayne Horsley (D-Lindenhurst), who is the chairman of the Economic Development, Higher Education and Energy Committee, said the project got the committee's attention.

"I applaud you for your vision," Horsley said. "It's shades of Gov. [Nelson] Rockefeller and [ Robert] Moses."

After the meeting, he said he would poll the board members next Tuesday to determine whether they would want to write a letter of support.

"Anytime you can bring $10 billion into the local economy and reduce traffic and pollution, you have to consider it," Horsley said.