The NY Rising Community Reconstruction Program held a public meeting at Norman J. Levy Lakeside School in Merrick to discuss the final project proposals of Hurricane Sandy reconstruction.
In addition to Massapequa, neighboring communities were divided into five committees including Seaford/Wantagh, Bellmore/Merrick, Freeport, and Baldwin.
The NY Rising Reconstruction program was created by the state to assist neighborhoods that were severely damaged by Superstorm Sandy and Hurricane Irene. The program gives the communities the power to plan for reconstruction.
The members of the NY Rising committees had been working and meeting once a month since September. Co-chairs of the Massapequa committee are long-time Massapequa residents Bill Van Wagner and Maureen Fitzgerald.
A representative from ARUP, Senior Planner Susan Ambrosini, presented the recovery projects that were recommended by the local committees to the public. ARUP is a consulting firm that was hired by the state to provide technical assistance to the communities.
Ambrosini highlighted some of the shared projects that will be implemented within the communities.
“Many of the resiliency and reconstruction needs and opportunities were shared across each of the five communities,” said Ambrosini. “A good project idea in one area was also a good project idea in a neighboring area.”
The committees discussed the projects that could be executed in this way, and decided to pool their allocated funds towards collectively funding these larger projects. All of the committees looked out for the well being of each community as a whole. Four of the shared projects that Ambrosini presented involved Massapequa.
The Regional Lifeline Transportation Network will be put into action by developing a study to determine the key streets within the community. The roads will be maintained as safe, secure and passable before, during and after storm events. This project would ensure enhanced street lighting, solar power operating streetlights, and better drainage.
“The lifeline streets will address some of the other concerns about flooding in the neighborhood,” said Van Wagner. “They are going to get these streets opened so that people during the storm can get out.”
Another shared project, South Shore Stormwater System Modeling and Analysis, would look at storm water damage in the area and look into developing a computer model that analyzes how water moves in the community. This model would be able to identify the project most beneficial to the community.
“It allows you to be more strategic in picking projects for funding,” said Ambrosini.
The Business Continuity plan would assist and create continuity strategies for businesses. This project would educate the local chamber of commerce and business organizations about resiliency and help identify funding sources for resiliency measures.
The Public Communication and Education Gap Analysis project would educate citizens about preparing for emergencies and assist them before, during and after events. The study focuses on how community members and groups can help each other instead of relying on the local government.
“Implementation is the next step,” said Van Wagner, who explained that the most shovel-ready and applicable projects will be given immediate attention.
The New York State Governor’s Office of Storm Recovery will be reviewing the projects to make sure that they are all fundable, according to Ambrosini. Many members at the meeting were curious to know how long it will take to execute these projects. Ambrosini explained that the projects are required to be implemented within four years.
“In Massapequa we lost 17 houses because the fire department couldn’t get in,” said Van Wagner. “We don’t want people’s houses burning down. We want to save lives.”
Thanks to the dedication of Van Wagner and the rest of the committee members, action is finally being taken.
“We came together from different backgrounds for the common goal of improving the community and making us more resilient,” said Fitzgerald, who has been a Massapequa resident for 58 years. “It just shows what great things can happen when people work together.”
