Streams, roads get attention in Valley Stream

There is construction aplenty in Valley Stream this summer. Work has begun to revitalize the village’s streams, and several roads are also being repaired.

One of the most noticeable projects, especially to the hundreds of people who regularly walk, run and bike at Hendrickson Park, is the stream restoration project in north end of the facility.

Construction began about two weeks ago to fix the stream. Work will include removing sand and silt from the stream, repairing the stream bank walls and installing debris collector bins. “The whole idea of this is to get it clean and keep it clean,” Mayor Ed Fare said.

He explained that much of the sand that builds up in the stream comes from the north, especially the Southern State Parkway. That’s why a sediment collector will be added at the bottom of the waterway. Officials note that there is no perfect solution because the stream is part of the local water runoff system, so sand will always be coming into the park. However, they say, the fixes should keep the stream running smoothly, especially further downstream.

A floating skimmer will be added to the stream at the north end of the park, and it will rise and fall with the height of the water. This will collect debris such as plastic bottles, to keep those items from floating further downstream and into the lake. Village crews will be able to empty the bin whenever it gets full.

Because of the project, access has been restricted to the north end of the park. The entrances from the side streets north of the pedestrian bridge have been fenced off. The walkways from the bridge to Hendrickson Avenue will be closed off while construction is going on. “We’re going to try to open it whenever possible, because everyone loves the park,” Fare said. “Safety has to be the No. 1 concern. We don’t want someone to walk there when there’s heavy equipment.”

Road work

The 2012 road construction project began with Cochran Place. The road was repaved from Roosevelt Avenue to the firehouse.

While the new road provides for a much smoother ride for drivers, village officials say they did get a lot of complaints about all the trees that were taken down. Highway Superintendent Tim Leahy said this had to be done so curbs and driveway aprons could be replaced. “Unfortunately, the trees had to come down,” he said.

However, Leahy said the trees will be replaced by the village, and every resident on that section of Cochran Place received a letter asking them how many trees they would like. He said he expects at least 50 new trees to go up later this year.

Leahy said Cochran was one of the last few streets in the village that had a “canopy of trees.” Despite the complaints about the trees being removed, he said there were even more complaints about the condition of the road.

Foster Avenue was also repaved earlier this year. Recently, crews have turned their attention to Felton Place, between Central and East avenues, East Dover Street between Emerson Place and Grove Street, and William Street west of Shaw Avenue. Leahy explained that all roads are rated on a scale of 1 to 100. The ones with the lowest rating are the first to be repaved. Other roads to be repaved later this summer include Louise Place, South Drive and Wilson Road.

The village typically spends about $2 million a year to repave roads, and the work is done by an outside contractor. That amount of money covers about two miles worth of streets. Fare said that is about the length of Sunrise Highway through the village, but the work is divided among much shorter side streets. “Two miles actually adds up to a lot when you look at it that way,” he said.

Village crews repaved the shoulders along East Melrose Street, and also repaired sections of Kent Road that were riddled with potholes from water runoff. Road work in the village will continue through the fall.