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Overcast and Breezy Suozzi earmarks grants for work on city wells, Garvies Point
In 2022, Glen Cove took steps to repair its parks and roads. Now, with help from outgoing U.S. Rep. Tom Suozzi, the city will finally see improvements in its access to drinking water and repairs at the Garvies Point Museum.
As part of his final act in Congress, Suozzi secured $14 million for 15 major projects in the 3rd District, including two in Glen Cove, to address some of the district’s most pressing needs. The funding was included in the fiscal year 2023 omnibus government funding package.
Suozzi said his biggest priority in Congress has been fighting for New York, and ensuring that his constituents on Long Island and in Queens receive their fair share of funding.
“I am proud that the House-passed appropriations bills consisted of several items I have fought for,” he said in his press release, “including investments in preserving the Long Island Sound, support for our vulnerable and aging populations and elder care, including Holocaust survivors, cancer research and technology, local infrastructure projects, emergency management, and much more.”
The grant includes nearly $3.5 million for the installation of a packed tower aeration system at the Duck Pond Road well station, to meet the city’s water quality and water capacity needs. The existing aeration meets only 60 percent of those needs, according to Suozzi’s office, and has reached its life expectancy.
The city pumps groundwater through five wells that are drilled into the aquifers beneath Long Island. According to the city’s 2021 Drinking Water Quality Report released last May, 28,000 residents used city water, and the city pumped a total of 1.429 billion gallons, approximately 81 percent of which was billed directly to consumers.
Mayor Pamela Panzenbeck stated that one of the major issues Glen Cove faces is the expense of water operations. “We need a lot of things,” Panzenbeck said. “We need a brand new air stripper, we need a permanent generator on the site. These projects are very, very expensive, so this (funding) will certainly help.”
“Water is just going to become more and more important as Glen Cove keeps growing,” City Councilwoman Danielle Fugazy Scagliola said, adding of Suozzi, “It’s great that he was able to get us money.”
Fugazy Scagliola said that city wells have been a subject of discussion for some time, and she’s relieved that projects like these are moving forward.
Another priority for the city is improving access to open space at Garvies Point Preserve and Museum. This project has been granted $294,300.
After a two-year hiatus, the museum reopened on Aug. 6, welcoming residents to enjoy fun, flora and fauna. The project will upgrade the trail system at Garvies Point Preserve, upgrade the boathouse and the surrounding area to improve access to the water, and make the museum compatible with the Americans with Disabilities Act. A trail will be cleared from the gate on Garvies Point Road to the waterfront.
Although the trails and access to surrounding areas will be improved, however, museum Director Veronica Natale said that dogs still won’t be permitted in the preserve.
Natale said she was excited about the improvements, which are set to take place in 2023. “The idea is that they’ll be able to walk from the waterfront through the preserve to the museum,” she said of visitors, “and then they can also walk to Morgan Park.”
The grant also provides funding for an elevator to the museum’s lower level, so the facility can now better accommodate those with disabilities, strollers and the elderly. “We definitely have a need for it, because we get a lot of questions,” Natale said. “So we’re very excited about getting one.”
Panzenbeck said she would like to thank Suozzi for getting another major project funded for Glen Cove. “You never forget your hometown,” she said, “and we are eternally grateful.”
