By Jeff Lipton
Back hoes and orange cones will be the norm on the roads in the Five Towns in 2001 as a slew of street improvement projects are slated to begin this year - while others are expected to be completed - making it more difficult for motorists to get around town as they are forced to maneuver around these construction zones.
Bumpy and pothole-riddled streets will be reconstructed and outdated sewer pipes will be replaced in several areas of the Five Towns. Officials are also moving ahead with proposals to continue to improve the look of area business districts.
Village of Lawrence
Lawrence will be kept busy this year with several construction projects, many of them designed to improve the village's antiquated sewer system, said Peter Overs, village administrator.
A sewer rehabilitation and road resurfacing project is currently underway in Lawrence Bay Park. The project, which began in October 2000 and is expected to end in the spring, is estimated to cost $670,000.
"This project will alleviate some of the sewer problems that we've been having," said Overs. "These roads are aging, so we can take care of the broken [sewer] pipes and resurface the road at the same time."
In conjunction with that project, Lawrence Avenue and Juniper Circle will be resurfaced beginning in the spring.
"Oh absolutely, we will try to keep any disruptions to a minimum," Overs said.
A major overhaul of the Village of Lawrence Water Pollution Control Plant, at Route 878 and Rock Hall Road, will begin sometime in the spring and it should take between six and eight months to complete. The $1.75 million project will replace and upgrade pumps and motors at the plant and complete some work on sewer lines, said Overs.
"The last major work was done on the sewers in 1964," he said, adding that the life expectancy of the equipment is between 20 and 25 years. "With constant maintenance, we were able to extend the life. But the equipment has been working all that time for 365 days a year, so it is very tired."
Another project that Lawrence Village is considering embarking upon is a beautification project along the business district on Central Avenue, from Rockaway Turnpike to Washington Avenue. New trees, improved sidewalks and parking fields and new lighting would all be part of the plan. Overs said the plans are very preliminary and officials are just beginning to work on a design. The village has a working budget of between $500,000 to $750,000 to refurbish the business district after receiving a $300,000 state grant.
"The purpose is also to revamp the signage ordinance on the storefronts and encourage them [the storeowners] to try to spruce up their storefronts in a cooperative effort," Overs said. "This is a continued effort to revitalize the business district."
Town projects
The Town of Hempstead is also going to be busy in 2001, with two road improvement projects each in Inwood and Woodmere.
Under construction now and expected to be completed in the spring is a $660,000 storm water drain and road reconstruction in the Westminster Road and Yale Avenue area of Woodmere. The project, which began in July 2000, is nearly complete. It includes the resurfacing of Academy Road and parts of Bryant Street and Eton Road, Oxford Road, Cambridge Road and Princeton Road.
Town spokesman Mike McConnell said replacing the storm water drain does not mean there is a problem with flooding on those streets, but revamping the drainage system can only improve conditions.
Also underway is a storm water drain and road improvement project in the Mill Street and John Street area of Inwood. That $1 million project was started in December 2000 and is scheduled to be completed by June 2001. It includes Harris Avenue, Henry Street, School Street, Mill Street, John Street, Allen Street, as well as Caryl Drive.
A $660,000 project to upgrade roads will be launched in April 2001 in the Lawrence Lane and Buena Vista Avenue section of Inwood. The expected completion date for that project is July. Included in the road improvement and resurfacing is West Broadway and Taft Avenue, as well as Wheelock Avenue, Hoover Street, Garden Lane, Buena Vista Avenue; Park Avenue, between Garden Lane and Lawrence Lane; Lawrence Lane, between Honeywell Place and Burnside Avenue; and Lawrence Parkway.
A $500,000 resurfacing will begin in the summer of 2001 on Franklin Avenue, between Peninsula Boulevard and Broadway, in Hewlett. That road improvement plan is expected to take a couple of months to complete and should be wrapped up in the fall, McConnell said.
All the projects' estimated completion dates are based on hopes that the weather, for the most part, will cooperate, McConnell said, adding that is why most projects are done from the spring to the fall. Road work generally takes place between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m., on the weekdays.
Notices are mailed out way in advance to area residents who may be impacted by the on-going construction, McConnell said. "We try to minimize any inconveniences to them," he said.
Village of Cedarhurst
In Cedarhurst, plans are being prepared for Phase II of its Main Street Revitalization Program, from Spruce Street to Washington Avenue and Cedarhurst Avenue east to Maple Avenue. Village officials said State Sen. Dean Skelos (R-Rockville Centre) has committed $450,000 for the project.
Under separate funding from the state and the MTA, about $1.85 million has been set aside for the revitalization of Restaurant Row, which houses a group of restaurants on Chestnut Street, and the restoration of Railroad Station Plaza.
In the planning stage is the village's Road Improvement Program which includes: Leroy Avenue, Roselle Avenue, Carvel Avenue, Livingston Place, Adele Road and Clinton Avenue.
In addition, plans for Stage 1 to upgrade the village's water pollution control plant are being finalized. An application for state funding is pending.
County plans
In Hewlett, the Nassau County's Operation Downtown project is being proposed for the shopping island on Broadway near Fortunoff's, a refurbishment that will include new sidewalks and landscaping. The project is in the planning stages, as the Nassau County Legislature is talking with the Hewlett Business Association about design. If the plans are worked out, the project will start in mid to late summer, said Kathy Keating, a county spokesperson.
In addition, Peninsula Boulevard is proposed to be resurfaced from Rockaway Avenue to Harris Avenue in Hewlett in a county-sponsored road improvement plan.
Also, the county is planning to improve the traffic signals on Sheridan Boulevard and Burnside Avenue in Inwood.
No plans are scheduled to revamp county parks because all three local county-operated facilities - North Woodmere Park, Grant Park in Hewlett and Inwood Park -have received massive renovations during the past three years, said Keating.
