Tarrytown, Sleepy Hollow Receive Hudson River-Related Grants

TARRYTOWN, NY — Tarrytown and Sleepy Hollow projects will be receiving a state grant that will help the villages increase storm resiliency and make improvements to access to the Hudson River. The state Department of Environment announced that $750,000 was awarded to three projects.

Funding for these grants is provided by the Natural Resource Damages General Motors/Tarrytown Assembly Plant Hudson River Settlement and is administered by the DEC's Hudson River Estuary Program.

DEC Commissioner Basil Seggos said the Hudson River is an exceptional resource that should be accessible for all New Yorkers to enjoy.

"The project announced today will enhance work already underway to expand recreational opportunities throughout the estuary," he said.

In 2010, the DEC resolved a natural resources damages claim with General Motors LLC for releases of contaminants from the Tarrytown Assembly Plant in the Village of Tarrytown. Settlement funds are used to restore natural resources and fish and wildlife habitat in the lower Hudson River estuary near the site.

The projects being funded are:

Historic Hudson Valley, $104,000

Historic Hudson Valley will improve storm resiliency and river access for the public at Philipsburg Manor, a historic landmark in Sleepy Hollow contiguous to the former GM site. The project will eradicate invasive species on the shoreline to improve access and preserve the viewshed, stabilize the shoreline with native plantings using sustainable shoreline principles, upgrade the picnic area to meet universal access standards, and remove fallen trees from the river to facilitate recreational kayaking.

Village of Sleepy Hollow, $375,000

The village of Sleepy Hollow will restore and enhance the riverside trail on the former GM site, which stretches from Devries Park to Philipsburg Manor along the southern shoreline of the Pocantico River, a tributary of the Hudson. The funding will also be used to stabilize the shoreline, remove invasive species, and construct a connected path network with a viewing platform and educational signage. The completed trail will connect Devries Park to inner village neighborhoods and to the Sleepy Hollow Commons project and its amenities.

Village of Tarrytown, $271,000

The village of Tarrytown will stabilize the Hudson River shoreline of Losee Park to reduce erosion and flooding impacts. The project will improve public access to the existing kayak/canoe launch at the park. The village will also work with local public schools, the senior center, and historically underserved residents to promote the enjoyment of nature and recreational opportunities.

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