$3M more in funding for South Valley Stream

South Valley Steam’s Community Reconstruction Program received some good news last week to the tune of $3 million in additional New York Rising funding from the state.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo made the announcement on April 23 at a conference in Albany. The CRP from Oakdale-West Sayville was the only other Long Island committee to be awarded an additional $3 million.

Tricia Vanderbeck and Zavida Mangaru, members of South Valley Stream’s CRP, went to Albany to accept award. The CRP was selected, according to a press release, because of its use of “green infrastructure.”

In February, the CRP, with help from state consultants, picked three projects for the area that would improve its infrastructure. The projects — repairing the bulkheads and restoring the shoreline at Brook Road Park, restoring the natural shoreline along “the Path” on Cloverfield Road, and developing community information regarding green infrastructure — were discussed since October.

The committee selected them after the community was awarded an initial $3 million in New York Rising funding last year. At committee and public meetings held in the fall and winter, residents offered their opinions on potential projects. The CRP area includes Mill Brook, the neighborhood around South High School, and the area of North Woodmere around Ogden Elementary School.

Marc Tenzer, president of the Mill Brook Civic Association and chairman of the CRP committee, said he was thrilled to hear the news. “We have a very talented, experienced and caring committee who are dedicated to South Valley Stream and we want to see the neighborhood become more enhanced and to beautify it,” he said. “God forbid, in case of another storm, we want to have projects in place so the storm won’t have a major impact on us.”

Now that the committee has secured the additional funds, Tenzer said it’s time to make more decisions. “We now have to sit down with our committee and the consultants and review all our projects one more time,” he said.

“We’re not sure what we’re going to do yet,” he added, in regard to the additional funds.

The committee will host its next public meeting on May 8 at 7 p.m. at Forest Road Elementary School.