Last week the town received a $20,000 check from the Westbrook Foundation as a grant to offset the costs to construct the town’s new fishing dock and kayak launch at Town Hall.

This the second time the Westbrook Foundation has awarded the town a grant for this public recreation facility. The first grant of $38,500 was awarded by the foundation in 2014. The town also approved $7,000 from the town’s capital reserve fund to support planning work on the project in December 2013

The new fishing dock and kayak launch facility will be built on the Patchogue River behind the town’s Mulvey Municipal Center.

A total of $58,500 in foundation grant funds can now be applied to the project budget, but additional unexpected project requirements imposed by the state mean that this may not be enough to complete the work. Town Planner Meg Parulis is not yet certain exactly how much more the town will need to contribute. She said she hoped to solicit bids for the construction project early in 2016 to confirm the total project costs, but she had held off on seeking bids until she received confirmation that the State Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) would approve the town’s dock permit.

On Dec. 27, Parulis finally received the email confirming DEEP approval.

The next step is for the town to seek bids to firm up a budget for the construction project. Once the bids are received, Parulis will know by how much the current project funding falls short. At that point, she explained she would then approach the Board of Selectmen for support to fill that funding gap.

If they support the additional funding, the project could move forward as early as this spring. The town’s goal still is to try to complete the dock and kayak launch site in time for residents to enjoy it during the 2016 summer season.