By Kathy Savolt and Cindy Goldstein -
Waverly Avenue Bridge Update
The Waverly Avenue Bridge project received the go-ahead with the Town of Mamaroneck approving the Intermunicipal Agreement with the Village of Mamaroneck on November 21.
The $4.54 million project funded by the Town of Mamaroneck primarily with grant money was halted when Village Manager Jerry Barberio cancelled the permit the building department had just issued. Barberio demanded up to $728,000 of reimbursement from the Town for two police officers he claimed were necessary for public safety. During the many meetings between the Town and the Village (starting in 2019) it seems the topic never came up. Contractors were just about to begin the much-needed work when the project was halted. The project is critical for flood mitigation and to replace the structurally deficient bridge. See previous article 11/15 HERE.
Highlights of the Intermunicipal Agreement (See HERE) are:
· The Village will replace the concrete barriers they removed
· Two Village police officers will oversee the traffic at Hoyt and Fenimore and at Hoyt and Mamaroneck Avenue at a maximum cost of $105,600
· The Town will reimburse the Village for the cost of the police up to the maximum
· The Town will pay for a traffic study to review various traffic flow improvements
· The Village is responsible for any traffic improvement measures resulting from the study with some contribution by the Town
The construction is expected to last approximately 9 months.
Phase One of ACE Project Funded
At the invitation of the Flood Mitigation Advisory Committee, County Legislator Catherine Parker addressed the Village Board of Trustees (BOT) at the November 27th meeting. She announced that Westchester County has $12 million in the current budget for their share of the Army Corps of Engineers (ACE) project and the County is willing to use that funding to allow the Village to begin with the two Phase I priorities they have designated: removal of both the Ward Avenue bridge and the Center Avenue pedestrian bridge.
For the 2024 budget, Parker has requested $150,000 for additional studies regarding the Jefferson Avenue parking lot, and she will be requesting the County to include their increased share of the ACE project. The total ACE project budget has been projected to increase from $88 million to “somewhere around $125 million” requiring additional funding from the Federal government, New York State, and the County who each have a defined share of the cost.
Parker lauded the Village for working in unison with the County and Village Manager Jerry Barberio mentioned that County staff were meeting soon with a site visit to impacted areas.
The first phase of the ACE project involves removal of the Ward Avenue bridge but as we have learned the design for the replacement bridge is not complete. It is not clear if the existing bridge will be demolished before then. For many residents of Rye Neck, the Ward Avenue bridge has become a critical link to the downtown since the Tompkins Avenue bridge has been closed since Hurricane Ida in 2021.
Mamaroneck Greenways Project Unveiled
At the November 27th Work Session, the Committee for the Environment (CFTE) released a comprehensive and ambitious project to create a river walk connecting parks throughout the Village along the Mamaroneck and Sheldrake Rivers.
After an introduction by Chair of the CFTE David Freeman, the Chair of the Open Space Sub-committee, Kate Dehais, presented the project (See HERE) including detailed maps and color photographs.
The Greenways project is important as it would provide recreation, open space and walkability, as well as habitat for native plants and pollinators. Perhaps even more importantly is the flood control aspect of these open areas where the soil and vegetation act as “sponges” to absorb flood waters.
The CFTE has already spent many volunteer hours clearing invasive vines and plants and other overgrowth at various locations throughout the Village including at the new Rockland Pocket Preserve.
In addition to the municipally owned parcels along the rivers, there are also privately owned properties that would have to grant easements or make other arrangements to allow the public to walk the entire proposed walkway. Coordination with the Army Corps flood mitigation project would also be required as some portion of approximately 80 properties require either permanent or temporary easements to implement the Army Corps project.
The CFTE asked the Board of Trustees for their approval in order to apply for grants to pay for a landscape architect to prepare a plan that could then be executed – hopefully with more grant funding.
Sheldrake Open Space Study
The BOT also approved to contract with SLR, an engineering, landscape architecture and surveying firm, to assess flood resiliency and land use along the Sheldrake River.This $75,000 study builds on an analysis SLR has conducted for New York State’s Resilient NY Program and will be funded both by a Federal grant ($32,500) and the Village ($42,500). See Proposal HERE.
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