A Stony Brook nonprofit has asked FEMA to weigh in on ownership of a dam destroyed last year in a storm, potentially breaking a stalemate that has blocked reconstruction of a section of Harbor Road that also collapsed, officials said Tuesday.

The Ward Melville Heritage Organization previously had denied it had any role in ownership of the dam and road after both were severely damaged in the August 2024 storm.

Officials have said the ownership dispute had stalled rebuilding efforts. Repair estimates run as high as $10 million.

Gloria Rocchio, the nonprofit's president, said in a telephone interview Tuesday she had sent copies of property title reports to the Federal Emergency Management Agency last month to determine whether the nonprofit is eligible for federal disaster relief funds. S

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