By Anthony Rifilato
Some residents, who live along Parsonage, Arthur and Lincoln streets and Fishermans Road, near the corner of Grand Avenue, say that the town plan -- initiated last year in order to alleviate tidal flooding in the area -- completely overlooked their section of the street when roadways were re-paved and sidewalks were improved.
The work was part of a $100 million road improvement program throughout the Town of Hempstead. The project in Baldwin Harbor included stormwater drain upgrades, roadway and sidewalk improvements as well as road elevation to stave off flooding.
Since then, residents say, parts of their streets are in various stages of disrepair compared with the recent upgrades down the block. "They only improved the roadways that were flooded," said one Arthur Street resident who asked not to be named. "They're making our area look shabbier, and they said that's how they're leaving it."
Residents said they were sent an update from the town in February, saying that the project would be completed in late winter. They also said that the work has stopped, and that they were told it would resume in the spring.
However, some residents said they were told by town officials that stretches of their streets -- several hundred feet from the corner of Grand Avenue, depending on the street -- were not included in the project. Their concerns have not been addressed, they said, and they feel that with rising taxes and the high cost of living in the area, the project should be expanded to include the sections of roads their homes face.
Susie Trenkle, a spokeswoman for the Town of Hempstead, said that the project was mainly aimed at alleviating flooding in the area, and that the other parts of the streets, where flooding was not a problem, are not a part of the project. "[The project] was specifically meant to address tidal flooding," Trenkle said. "It will be the area of the street that has had flooding."
Trenkle also said that if flooding issues arise in other sections of the roads, those concerns could be addressed in the future. She explained that the project isn't completed, however, and that work will recommence later in the spring. "They stopped for the winter because of the weather," Trenkle said.
But residents responded that that is unacceptable, and feel that the entire street should be repaved and repaired in order to maintain the character of the neighborhood and to match the recent renovations. "How can the town say that they are investing in improvements when part of the street is still in disrepair?" said another Arthur Street resident, who also asked not to be named. "There's only 200 feet left -- they should just finish it. It's shoddy work. It's not even done well."
Portions of Parsonage, Arthur and other streets display a great disparity between sections that were repaired and parts that weren't. For instance, on Arthur Street, there is brand new blacktop and upgraded sidewalks, but a stretch near Grand Avenue is remains cracked and has areas of patchy tar where some work was done.
Residents also said that they were inconvenienced by the work at times, with trucks idling in the street and water turned off occasionally. Some say flooding is still a problem, and that some residents park their cars up the block during high tide. All this, they said, and their part of the street isn't being considered.
One Lincoln Street resident said that while she understood that the project wasn't completed, the work, which was done to alleviate flooding for her neighbors down the road, has inadvertently affected her home and her section of the street. "Now, they don't have flooding, but we do," she said. "It's been a mess. And they're not doing my part of the street."
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