Bay Shore, NY — Crash Data, Roads, History & Law

History

Before European settlement, the Secatogues, an Algonquian-speaking people, occupied what became the Town of Islip; their principal village at the site of present-day Bay Shore was called Penataquit, according to the Town of Islip's own history page, which also names West Islip (Secatogue) and Oakdale (Connetquot) as the group's other main villages.^[1] On November 29, 1683, William Nicoll became the first English patentee of the area, purchasing land from Sachem Winnequaheagh of Connetquot and naming his roughly 50,000-acre grant Islip Grange; the Town's history page names John Mowbray as an early patentee of land specifically at Bay Shore and Stephanus Van Cortlandt as patentee of the tract that became Sagtikos Manor.^[2]

The precinct of Islip was established in 1710, with the first elections for supervisor, constable, collector and two assessors held in 1720; town meeting records first referred to Islip as a "Town" in an entry for the first Tuesday of April 1790.^[3] Sagtikos Manor, on the Van Cortlandt patent, is described by its own historical society as "Built in 1697 and one of Long Island's oldest and most historic estates."^[7] The Town of Islip's history page calls the manor "Islip's oldest deeded home, and site of an overnight stay by George Washington," and places it in West Bay Shore, while the same page's Historic Islip Trail material instead lists "Sagtikos Manor in Bay Shore" among the Town's historic sites — the sources differ on which hamlet holds the property.^[5][6]

How the roads got here

Montauk Highway through Bay Shore is New York State Route 27A. NYSDOT's official touring-route description, current as of its 2017 touring route book, runs the road on "Merrick Road and Montauk Highway to Babylon, Bay Shore, Islip, East Islip, Great River, Oakdale" before it rejoins NY 27.^[11] Sunrise Highway (NY 27) is also a state touring route, though NYSDOT's abbreviated description of it names only "Massapequa Park, North Babylon, Great River, North Patchogue" — the hamlets flanking Bay Shore along the corridor — without naming Bay Shore itself.^[12]

Bay Shore's western edge lies near where the Southern State Parkway meets the Sagtikos State Parkway. NYSDOT's own parkway jurisdiction table lists "Sagtikos State Parkway OP&R ," placing the road under the jurisdiction of the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation; the same table's legend defines OP&R as the "New York State Office of Parks, Recreation & Historic Preservation" and defines the asterisk as "Maintained and Signed by NYSDOT."^[13][15][16] The Robert Moses Causeway carries the same jurisdictional split, listed in the same table as "Robert Moses Causeway OP&R ."^[14]

Law and legal history

Since October 3, 1978, Chapter 47A of the Code of the Town of Islip has required prior written notice before the Town can be sued over a defective public way. Section 47A-3, "Liability of Town," states that "No civil action shall be maintained against the Town of Islip or any of its employees for damages or injuries to persons or property" caused by a defective, unsafe or obstructed street, sidewalk, bridge, sign or similar Town-maintained property, unless written notice was actually given to the Town Clerk or Commissioner of Public Works and the Town failed to act within a reasonable time.^[17]

The Appellate Division, Second Department applied the statute in Wohlars v. Town of Islip, 71 A.D.3d 1007 (2d Dept 2010), reversing a denial of summary judgment after the Town's deputy public works commissioner testified that "his search of the Town's records revealed no prior written notice of the alleged icy condition at the subject parking lot," a Long Island Rail Road lot in Ronkonkoma; the court held that, absent notice or proof the Town affirmatively created the hazard, the suit could not proceed.^[18]

Government, courts and policing

Bay Shore has no government of its own; it is an unincorporated hamlet of the Town of Islip, tabulated by the Census Bureau as a census-designated place. Road ownership follows three levels of government: NY 27A (Montauk Highway) and NY 27 (Sunrise Highway) are state touring routes, the Southern State and Sagtikos State Parkways are under state parks jurisdiction though maintained by NYSDOT, and local streets are a Town of Islip responsibility.^[11][13] The Suffolk County Police Department's Third Precinct, whose own site places it at "1630 5th Ave, Bay Shore," patrols "Bay Shore, Baywood, Brentwood, Brightwaters, Islip, Central Islip, East Islip, West Islip, and Islip Terrace."^[10][9]

The Town of Islip's Town Hall, seat of the Town Clerk and Town Board, is listed on the Town's own site at "655 Main Street, Islip NY" with phone "(631) 595-3500"; the Town's website does not give a separate address or phone line specifically for the Islip Town Justice Court.^[24] Suffolk County's Tenth Judicial District courts complex, which includes the Suffolk County District Court, is at 400 Carleton Avenue, Central Islip, NY 11722 — the address nycourts.gov lists for the "Suffolk County District Administrative Judge's Office," phone 631-208-5600.^[23]

Public education in Bay Shore is provided by the Bay Shore Union Free School District, whose mission statement begins, "The Bay Shore Union Free School District believes that children learn best when they are challenged by high expectations."^[27] Fire protection is provided by the Bay Shore Fire Department.

Railroad and transit

Bay Shore is the mainland terminal for ferry service to several Fire Island communities. Fire Island Ferries, Inc., operating from 99 Maple Avenue in Bay Shore, describes its route as "Ferry service to western Fire Island communities," and its site lists Kismet, Saltaire, Fair Harbor, Atlantique, Dunewood, Ocean Beach, Seaview and Ocean Bay Park among the communities it serves.^[25][26]