Infrastructure improvements on the way

A $2 million grant administered by the county will fund stream improvements in the village this year. Work at Hendrickson Park began in 2008 but was stopped when money ran out. With a new infusion of cash, work will continue on the stream at the north end of Valley Stream’s flagship park.

Mayor Ed Cahill said that crews will straighten out the stream just south of Hendrickson Avenue to prevent erosion of its banks. A new catch basin will also be installed to prevent sand and debris from getting into the lake.

Stream repairs will also be made at the Village Green. Cahill said that some homeowners on Valley Stream Boulevard have experienced flooding when the stream has backed up, so the fixes should prevent that from happening. Excess sand and dirt will be removed, and the stream’s bank will be repaired where it has eroded away. At Mill Pond Park, invasive plant growth will be removed.

Cahill said he hopes work on the stream will begin in early spring.

Another project being planned is the installation of new street lights along Sunrise Highway. This work was originally scheduled for 2009, but there were complications with approvals from the state Department of Transportation, Cahill said. Because the lights will run down the center median instead of along the sides of the road, new wiring must be installed — which will challenge crews laying cables to do so without causing major disruption to traffic at cross-streets.

The work will be funded through a $1.35 million grant from the state. Cahill said the new lights will be more energy-efficient. They will be installed beginning at the Queens border, and heading east. “We’re going to go all the way through to Rockaway Avenue,” Cahill said.

Road repairs throughout the village will continue this year. The village has bonded about $1.5 million for its annual road program, which, according to Cahill, will include street repaving and curb and driveway apron replacements. The village has also received about $100,000 in state road improvement money and $500,000 from another grant that will allow even more roads to be added to the list.

Hoping for more funding

Cahill said that in addition to these infrastructure improvements, Valley Streamers could see more work if some federal stimulus money comes through. The village applied for $10 million for three potential projects.

A culvert that runs underneath Valley Stream Boulevard near the Village Green is in need of replacement, Cahill said. The sidewalk above it is sinking on one side of the road. The Hendrickson Pool parking lot is also in need of repaving, he said.

The third project would be the construction of a new parking lot along Sunrise Highway. It would be built between the road and the railroad tracks, from Central Avenue west to Terrace Place, and have about 200 spots. Cahill said the lot would service commuters, shoppers, the medical building across the street and a nearby business college. The site is now a staging area for road repair crews.

In addition, Cahill said, the village is seeking a $10 million Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery grant from the state. If the TIGER money comes through, it would fund more street improvements. The money, Cahill said, would be divided evenly so that all areas of the village would benefit.

Road repairs cost about $1 million per mile, the mayor said.

Each year the village participates in the Streetscape program to improve the appearance of its commercial areas. Cahill said that the focus of this year’s project will be Central Avenue, either south of Merrick Road or at the north end of the village. The work will include new sidewalks, brick pavers and lamp posts. “We put in for a half-million,” Cahill said. “If we get $300,000, we’ll be OK.”

The village has also requested funding from county Legislator Fran Becker for a similar project on Rockaway Avenue at Liggett Road. Cahill said there is an active shopping center there, but the area could use some aesthetic improvements. There is a sidewalk and a large, empty grass area that the village owns. Cahill would like to see this spruced up with plantings, benches and new lighting.

Odds and ends

In April, the village will adopt a budget for 2010-11. Cahill said the village board will soon begin meeting with department heads to consider their requests for the next fiscal year, which begins June 1. Negotiations with the village employees’ union will also continue. Their contract with the village expired last June.

The site plan for the new condominium and retail development at Sunrise Highway and Rockaway Avenue is expected to be submitted in February. According to Cahill, the village board is anxiously awaiting the start of this project, which will replace several blighted buildings at a main intersection.

The village is planning to survey businesses on how the downtown can be improved, and a questionnaire will be made available to residents as well. The village and its consulting firm, Frederick P. Clarke Associates, are seeking input for the downtown revitalization project, which will address Rockaway Avenue. There are still a number of vacant storefronts, Cahill said, especially between Merrick Road and Sunrise Highway.

Village Clerk Vinny Ang said the survey would most likely be available online, which would be more cost-=effective than a paper mailing.

A special election will be held in March to fill Trustee Guido Cirenza’s seat for the year remaining in his term. Cirenza died in October after serving on the board for 14 years. Cahill said he expects to appoint someone to occupy the seat until the election at Monday night’s meeting.