Communities vie for state reconstruction money

New York state communities devastated by Hurricane Sandy met in Albany Wednesday to learn if they would receive money to for the rebuilding projects they proposed.

These communities are competing for more than $650 million statewide available for funding through the NY Rising Community Reconstruction Program. There are 700 projects being considered for funding.

“Many of us remember the storm as if it were yesterday,” said Nassau County Executive Ed Mangano. “There have been 5,000 county residents who have received more than $212 million in NY Rising money.”

In the Five Towns, project focus is on infrastructure, access to evacuation routes, and studying the coastline, according to Bob Block, co-chair of the Five Towns Community Reconstruction Program committee. “We need to do a better job of informing our residents the location of and access to these routes,” he said. “Our infrastructure projects for mitigating flood waters are not a one-size-fits-all approach.”

The committee’s plans for infrastructure include the use of pervious paving, bioswales (natural grass and tree structures that collect storm waters) and rain gardens, and increasing the pipe capacity for rainwater. “The pipes serve as a repository for rain water, collecting it after storms,” Block said.

Block said that his committee listened to several different perspectives. “We did it more with our ears, followed New York state protocol, and experts,” he said. “We listened to our neighbors. And mayors. We spent a lot of time gathering information, and with that, we came up with our plan.”

A final decision for project funding is expected to be made Wednesday afternoon.