Island Park Getting $5 Million For Drainage Repair

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced that the Federal Emergency Management Agency has approved nearly $5 million in federal funding under the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program for the Village of Island Park's drainage system. This grant will fund the final engineering and design work for this project. Approximately $1.8 million was awarded for preliminary design work in 2015.

"Make no mistake about it: extreme weather and severe storms are the new normal, which makes protecting and hardening our infrastructure more critical than ever before," Cuomo said. "This funding will make the Village of Island Park more resilient against future storms and help this community continue to build back after the devastation of Superstorm Sandy."

Island Park was devastated by Hurricane Sandy with a stated inundation of 6 to 8 feet of sea water that flooded virtually every home and business in the village. Additionally, the village lost its elementary school, firehouse, village hall and places of worship.

The proposed work provides protection from flooding of the village. The village will install an upgraded municipal storm drainage system including 42,000 feet of new storm sewers, tide gates, subsurface storm water retention, three potential road elevations and 2,000 feet of upgraded bulkhead.

FEMA has reserved an amount not to exceed $33,624,150, with a 100 percent Federal Share, for the construction portion of the project. The final engineering is expected to be completed by April of 2020.

"There's no doubt about it -- Hurricane Sandy took a devastating toll on Island Park, however we have become far more resilient in the years since and that work continues today," Mayor Michael McGinty said. "Thanks to the governor's leadership, as well as the tireless efforts of Senator Todd Kaminsky and the state Homeland Security staff, we now have the resources we need to get to work and we will continue the renaissance that is Island Park."

Photo: Patch