Repairing the Five Towns

With $27.6 million in funding for projects that could help mitigate future damage from storms such as Hurricane Sandy at stake, residents, especially from Meadowmere Park, made their case for what is needed at public meeting No. 1 of the Five Towns Community Reconstruction program committee on Oct. 17.
Input from residents ranged from wanting authorities to tell landscapers not to blow leaves into sewer drains to creating a community center in one of the areas that suffered severe damage by Sandy.
Committee members and town and state officials spoke with community members and had residents write answers to questions that focused on what they love about the Five Towns, what types of improvements they would want in the future, why they live in the community, what challenges should be addressed and their top priorities for rebuilding during the Thursday meeting at the Hebrew Academy of the Five Towns and Rockaway Middle School in Lawrence.
“Government wants the input of the community,” said Bob Block one of the three co-chairs of the Five Towns committee. The other two are Pete Sobol and Rabbi Mordechai Kamenetzky. “We must create a plan the state will approve.”
Out of the $750 million in federal funds being allocated to communities throughout New York state as part of the post-Hurricane Sandy New York Rising Community Reconstruction program, Hewlett, Hewlett Harbor, Hewlett Neck, Inwood, Meadowmere Park and Lawrence are slated to receive $3 million each, and Woodmere is eligible for $6.6 million.
Meadowmere Park, a small community of about 100 hundred homes, was severely damaged by Sandy and homeowners are continuing to rebuild. The firehouse was the only building that could provide shelter and it served as a temporary home for approximately 75 residents. “We need a community house built, where we can store emergency supplies,” said resident Abigail Schmidt.
Frank Fish, from BFJ Planning, a company hired by the state, provided community members with an introduction to the process of collecting ideas. We were out in the field and met with residents,” said Fish, adding the primary goal is to “rebuild smarter.”