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Politics & Government

Village Awarded $500,000 Grant for Revitalization

Surveillance and sidewalk projects also discussed at CDA meeting.

A $500,000 grant for façade and interior improvements in the heart of the village, camera surveillance at Shorefront Park and the Family Service League's HomeShare program were all topics at Thursday's Community Development Agency meeting at Village Hall. The CDA's next meeting is scheduled for Oct. 7 at 7 p.m.

New York Main Street Grant to Revitalize Downtowns

With an eye on sprucing up streetscapes in the business district, the Village of Patchogue will use a $500,000 grant from the New York State Division of Housing and Community Renewal to conduct a number of renovation projects next year.

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"There's no doubt in my mind it's making a big economic impact," said CDA Chair David Reese, adding the CDA recently completed a similar grant project along South Ocean Avenue and Main Street. Reese said those enhancements are attracting new businesses to the area.

Marian Russo, executive director of the CDA, said the latest grant includes a component for affordable housing, though the majority of the money will be spent on commercial renovations.

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"We might not have gotten the grant if we didn't include [the affordable housing] component," Russo added.

The targeted area for the grant begins at the corner of Church Street and South Ocean Avenue on the northwest side and continues from the west side of South Ocean Avenue to Main Street. Also included is the south side of Main Street heading west to River Avenue.

Some of the housing units that may be considered for renovations are apartments over storefronts, according to Russo.

The village Business Improvement District will hold two public hearings to see what projects the village will undertake. The BID will market the program to property and business owners within the designated area.

The village grant is part of a $119 million statewide project called the New York Main Street Program, intended to revitalize downtowns and renovate affordable housing units, according to a statement from Gov. David Paterson's office.

Surveillance Cameras Possible for Shorefront Park

The village is in the middle of discussing how to better implement security, particularly at Shorefront Park. One of the possible solutions is installing surveillance cameras.

"My hope is that it is a bit of a deterant," said Village Trustee Joseph Keyes. He added there has been a great deal of vandalism at Shorefront Park.

"We have money in the CDA budget to put cameras there and we've been talking about this for a couple of years," Keyes said.

But what began as a push to get the cameras at Shorefront Park turned into a larger initiative to implement a universal camera security plan across the village.

Discussions of a village-wide camera committe are ongoing, but the CDA is looking to move forward with the plan for Shorefront Part.

Further discussion of the plan will take place at the next meeting.

Trial Program to Tackle Affordable Housing and Senior Concerns

The Family Service League will give a presentation on its HomeShare Long Island Program at the October meeting. The initiative pairs senior citizen homeowners with younger, employed adults or families who are looking for affordable housing.

The CDA is considering Russo's proposal to provide the Family Service League with $5,000 toward HomeShare LI, asking it to focus on the Village of Patchogue.

Update on Sidewalk Projects

Work is expected to begin next week on the Bay Avenue sidewalk project, which will install sidewalks from Carman Street to the railroad tracks. Keyes hopes the venture will be completed by the end of the month.

The Oak Street sidewalk project may begin by the end of the month, according to Russo. The details have not been worked out yet, but the project will include replacing sidewalks from North Ocean Avenue to Maple Street and improving the crosswalk by Temple Beth-El. Russo said she hopes the project will be done by the end of October.

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