by Kathy Savolt -
The Village of Mamaroneck (VOM) has received $6.6 million from the New York State Green Resiliency Grant Program. The Village received one of the largest grants outside New York City and more than 10% of the total amount awarded.
The grant will be used toward the expected $9.5 million project to increase our resilience to flooding with projects at Ward Avenue and Columbus Parks. The confluence of the Sheldrake and Mamaroneck Rivers in Columbus Park will be straightened. In addition, both areas will include flood plain reclamation. Basically, a continuous space will be created to allow the water to flow cross-sectionally when the river overflows its banks and keep water from overflowing onto the streets. In Columbus Park, the Jefferson Avenue parking lot will also be lowered to allow water to collect there as well.
Some of this work is included in the scope of the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) project and this grant will allow it to be fast-tracked. The Village is exploring other funding for the remainder of the project and Village Engineer Gino Frabasile is already in discussions with the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation regarding a new, upcoming grant program.
Other Flood News
Mayor Sharon Torres announced at the October 28th Board of Trustees (BOT) meeting that the VOM USACE project has a new manager. Torres expects a site visit with both the outgoing and incoming managers in early November, hopefully before the 11/12 BOT meeting.
During the public comment period at the BOT meeting, Kirsten Yizar addressed the BOT regarding the soon-to-be released grant for elevating homes in the flood zone. Yizar recounted her family’s flood experiences and the disappointment when the first grant application the Village submitted was denied because it was not complete. The Village must apply for the grant on behalf of homeowners and the prior submission was faulty. Yizar questioned the process for the current cycle to ensure the applications will be complete this time around.
Village Engineer Gino Frabasile replied that the Village is gathering all the necessary information so when the grant is announced, the application will be ready to go. Working with the Village’s consultant for home elevation grant applications, thirteen homeowners are now interested, increased from just three who participated in the last cycle. Frabasile believes more applicants will enhance the Village’s chances of success. See previous article HERE.
Torres also announced that the Village has filed an appeal with FEMA regarding their denial of funding for the replacement of the Tompkins Avenue Bridge. The Village applied for FEMA funding after Hurricane Ida in 2021. This particular application was denied because a 2020 inspection showed some scour damage to the bridge’s underside that was not severe enough to close the bridge. A post-Ida inspection showed that the damage had severely increased (from 20% to 60%) leading to the closure and the denial was based on the damage before Ida. This denial was received in April 2024 and the appeal asserting that the hurricane was responsible for accelerating the damage that led to the need to replace the bridge was filed in June. This conclusion is supported by the fact that a 2015 inspection was very similar to the 2020 inspection showing that five years of normal flow did not have that much of an impact on the bridge. A decision is expected in December. Meanwhile, the Village is exploring other funding. Replacing this bridge is the number one priority for the Village as it is the furthest down river.
