The Mineola Village Board on March 9 reviewed and approved the various projects that would be funded by the federal Housing and Urban Development Community Development Block Grants that are distributed by the Nassau County Office of Community Development.
Community Development Coordinator Thomas V. Savino stood in front of the board to go over the application, with $500,000 in total being requested to better the village.
The first item is to convert and install LED lighting fixtures in all public street lights located in areas that are eligible for the grant. The village will request $295,000 to accomplish this project.
Also in the application, $75,000 is being requested to cover costs involved with installing sight lines of lighting for pedestrian pathways. This is a feature, according to a packet distributed to the board by Savino, that would enhance downtown ambiance and encourage pedestrian walkability and comfort.
“During the COVID period, we received money to create pedestrian lighting down in our [Transit Oriented Development zone], which is essentially around the railroad, Mineola Boulevard, Second Street, Main Street; that whole zone,” Savino explained during the meeting. “In that zone, particularly on Second Street and Main Street, there’s a lack of street lighting. We’re looking to put in curb lights to increase the lighting for pedestrians.”
However, because of the topography underneath the sidewalk, there are challenges in installing these lights.
“We’re going to need additional engineering assistance to get that through,” Savino said.
Commercial rehabilitation is also addressed in the application, with a request of $120,000. The money would fund efforts to continue assisting and subsidizing private commercial building and business owners’ expenses to produce coordinated and qualified exterior improvements to their buildings. The goal would be to create a harmonious, clean and inviting aesthetic in the village.
And lastly, $10,000 has been requested to assist senior citizens, those with disabilities and qualified low-moderate income residents to fund improvements to their home, including energy efficiency, accessibility and repairs.
“You and the committee have literally changed the face of the village in certain areas in a positive way,” said the Mayor Scott P. Strauss.
Also at the meeting:
The board approved a new restaurant on 90-18 Jericho Turnpike. The applicant, Jason Jin, will be opening a sushi restaurant. He already owns a restaurant in Ridgewood called Jin Ramen Sushi that serves noodles, sushi and other entrees. Jin said the menu for this new restaurant in Mineola will be similar. The restaurant will be small with 37 seats and beer, wine and sake will also be served there. There will be a take-out service as well, but the main focus of the restaurant will be dine-in service.
The board also was presented with a potential new business that would open on 133 Mineola Blvd. called Your Space. The board was unable to vote on the application that night. Your Space, which would occupy the area that used to be Eleanor Rigby’s, would provide two floors of rental office and conference room spaces. On the top floor, there would be a pub. The pub would feature a partially retractable sky-rise system that would be open in warmer weather.
