By Hector Flores
During two recent town hall meetings at the North Bellmore and Bellmore public libraries, Denenberg, joined by Bellmore and Merrick business leaders, unveiled the county's preliminary plan to revitalize Merrick Road, which runs through Merrick and Bellmore.
According to Denenberg, the project, still in the planning phase, will cost an estimated $550,000 for each quarter mile to be renovated, and total over $1 million. It will include the placement of antique or decorative light posts, benches, brick pavement, curbing and garbage pails along two stretches of Merrick Road in Merrick and Bellmore.
So far, Denenberg has been able to secure $400,000 from the county for both phases of the project. He is currently talking with New York state Sen. Charles Fuschillo, a Republican from Merrick, about raising the rest of the funds. "I'm currently in talks with Fuschillo, and we have successfully worked together before," Denenberg said. "Right now, I have enough to start the design phase."
However, Fuschillo said it would be premature to commit to the project without first waiting to see the projected cost. "If and when I get the funds, I will be happy to help," he said.
The revitalization of the Bellmore stretch of Merrick Road would likely progress west from Mill Pond to Bedford Avenue, which measures a quarter mile. In Merrick, construction would begin east of the Meadowbrook Parkway but would skip the Birch Elementary School ball field and the sanitation facility, resuming at Trader Joe's and Custom Realty.
Before the revitalization project can begin, Denenberg said, the county needs detailed design specifications. Bids for the design would go out in the fall and would be awarded by late fall, he said. The design would then be completed by late winter, and bids for construction would go out by early spring. If all goes well, construction could begin in late spring and continue until the end of 2006, Denenberg said.
Merrick Road's revamping is part of the county's ongoing community revitalization projects in Bellmore and Merrick. So far, those projects have been limited to the downtown areas north of Sunrise Highway, near both Long Island Rail Road stations.
Bill Wilgus, vice president of the Chamber of Commerce of the Bellmores, said that the chamber is in favor of the project and looks forward to working with the county. "This is still in the pre-design phase, and we still have to know how much it will actually cost," Wilgus said. "If there is not enough money, we can still make changes. Hopefully it will be a multi-year project, which will be completed over the years."
Reinaldo Nunez, president of the North Bellmore Civic Association, is concerned that the revitalization would be limited to only Merrick Road, and not Jerusalem Avenue. "The work being done on Merrick Avenue is great, but Jerusalem Avenue needs revitalization," he said.
Denenberg explained that a Merrick Road project is easier to initiate because it is a county road. As a result, the revitalization project would be run and funded by the county. Jerusalem Avenue, on the other hand, is a state road, and any revitalization falls under the jurisdiction of the state's Department of Transportation.
Salvatore Vassallo, president of the Merrick Chamber of Commerce, worries that the revitalization would be done in parts, and preferred that Merrick Road be undertaken as a single project. "We need a commitment to do all of the road," he said. "We shouldn't start yet until we have all the money."
Denenberg explained that there is not one revitalization project in the county that has been done all at once. "If we wait for all the money, it will never get done," he said. "It's better to work in phases."
Marian Traker Gutin, president-elect of the Merrick Chamber of Commerce, is in favor of the project, and agreed with Denenberg. "We all have to start somewhere, even if it's a small portion at a time," she said. "We can't run before we can walk."
Comments about this story? HFlores@liherald.com or (516) 569-4000 ext. 283.
