Hyde Park is hoping to improve the infrastructure at Pinewoods Park, a scenic multi-use park in the village, with funds from a proposed 2008 Community Development Block Grant (CDBG).
The Hyde Park Town Board held a public hearing on Sept. 24 regarding the town’s application, which received mixed reception from some board members the previous week. Ultimately, the board voted this week to authorize Supervisor Pompey Delafield (D) to sign the application, which will be utilized to request funding to construct a new water line, handicapped-accessible restrooms and conduct septic work at Pinewoods Park in the village.
The park was one of three projects considered for the CDBG application; another was related to bridge work at Mill Road, and the third candidate was reconstruction work on Coleman Boulevard to improve drainage on that street.
When the Town Board met last week to discuss the three projects, the Pinewoods Park project was determined to have the best chance of grant approval. Councilman Robert Linville (D-1st Ward) was hoping that the Coleman Boulevard project would be selected, as residents in that neighborhood have dealt with drainage and deteriorating road conditions. “They’ve suffered a long time,” said Linville.
Delafield noted that the board was given an extremely short amount of time to consider their projects, conduct required public hearings and submit the grant application by Oct. 5. “We didn’t have much time to deal with the problem,” said Delafield.
Cost a hinderance
A deterring factor of the Mill Road and Coleman Boulevard projects was their overall costs, which exceeded the CDBG grant limits and would likely be denied. “I do not feel comfortable that they won’t accept anything that’s fully funded,” said Delafield.
While Linville submitted a “no” vote at last week’s meeting regarding selecting Pinewoods Park as the application project, he acknowledged that the park’s improvement plan was not without merit. “What Pinewoods amounts to is making a much more useful park to visitors and employees that work there,” he said.
After casting his “yes” vote this week to approve signing the grant application, Linville vowed that he and Delafield will continue to pursue methods to improve Coleman Boulevard. “We’re both determined to find a solution to Coleman,” he said.
The Community Development Block Grant is one of the longest-running programs of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, and funds local community development activities such as affordable housing, anti-poverty programs and infrastructure development.
CDBG funds may be used for community development activities, construction of public facilities and improvements (such as water, sewer, and other utilities, street paving, and sidewalks), as well as construction and maintenance of neighborhood centers, and the conversion of school buildings, public services, and economic development and job creation/retention activities.
Community Development Block Grant funds can also be used for preservation and restoration of historic properties in low-income neighborhoods.