By Andrew Hackmack
"Unfortunately, the money ran out," Mayor Ed Cahill said. A $187,000 grant, plus matching funds from the village to provide labor and equipment, did not go as far as village officials had hoped. However, Cahill said, Valley Stream has been awarded about $2 million in federal funding, secured through Nassau County, which will be enough to finish the project and begin a few others.
Cahill said the village would lay out money for the work and be reimbursed when it is completed.
The purpose of the Hendrickson Park project was to create a "healthier" stream. Over the years, sand and silt had accumulated on the bottom, reducing the capacity of the stream and making it more prone to flooding. That material was removed, and used to build up some low-lying areas of the park, Cahill explained.
Stream walls were reinforced close to the pond, Cahill said, to prevent erosion. A concrete wall was built along the east end of the stream, and boulders were placed along the west bank. A dry well was also installed to prevent flooding on Dover Street, which dead-ends along the east side of the park.
But more work still needs to be done. A concrete block wall will be built along the west bank of the stream, near Hendrickson Avenue, to prevent erosion there. Cahill said that is where the stream enters the park, and the force of the water is eroding the side bank. "If you don't stop it, it would just keep eroding and eroding," he said, "and before you know it, it would be up to the path."
Plantings along the walls will hide the concrete and give the stream a more natural look.
The stream continues to collect "floatables," items such as plastic bottles. A system of logs stretched across the stream is designed to catch these objects and prevent them from flowing into the pond. It is difficult for village workers to clean the bottles out, however. Part of the work that still needs to be done is the installation of a basket to catch them, which village workers can easily access to empty.
Cahill explained that there are also plans to install a catch basin, to prevent sand from getting in, "so it doesn't go into the stream and start building up again."
The sand and other debris come into the park from the north, Cahill said. The stream is part of the Valley Stream Brook Drainage Area, a 4.3-square-mile section that includes Elmont, Franklin Square, North Valley Stream, Floral Park, Garden City, New Hyde Park and Stewart Manor. The stream flows through the village into Mill Brook, and eventually empties into Jamaica Bay.
Cahill said that completion of the stream rehabilitation will be on the village's priority list for the spring. Village officials are also eyeing other projects the $2 million might pay for, though that would depend on how much is spent finishing the work at the park.
One plan is for stream repairs at the Village Green, just east of the library and Village Hall. The stream would be straightened a bit, Cahill said, which should help reduce flooding in the area. He explained that two streams merge into one just north of the green. As a result, sometimes the larger stream backs up, flooding homes on Valley Stream Boulevard.
The project would also include the building of concrete block walls along the north end of the stream to prevent erosion, similar to the work at Hendrickson.
Mill Pond would also be addressed. Cahill explained that a large parrot feather plant that has grown there needs to be removed. The plan, he said, would be to remove the whole plant, roots and all, so that it couldn't grow back. "The only other thing is putting a chemical on to kill it," he said, "and that would kill the fish in there."
The plant starts in the corner of the pond at Mill Road and Sunrise Highway, Cahill said, and grows out toward the middle. "If you don't stop it," he said, "it will eventually keep growing and growing and clog the stream."
Most of the work during the spring, with the exception of the waterway dredging, was completed by village workers. Cahill said that any future work at Hendrickson, the Village Green and Mill Pond would likely be done by outside contractors, because of the complexity of the work and so village workers can focus on other projects.
A timeline for the work on the green and the pond would be established after the work at the park is done. Cahill hopes the $2 million will cover all three projects. If there are any funds left over, he said, village officials might consider some aesthetic improvements to the pedestrian bridges. "We're hoping to stretch the money out as far as it can go," Cahill said.
Comments about this story? AHackmack@liherald.com or (516) 569-4000 ext. 265.
