Lynbrook awarded NYSDOT grant

Village administrators have taken action to turn their master redeveloping plan for the “little five corners” area at Hempstead and Lakeview Avenues into a beautiful reality. With a financial grant from the New York State Department of Transportation, much of the area will receive innovative upgrades proving that the leaves are not the only things starting to change in the neighborhood.

According to Eileen Peters, the public information officer for the department’s Suffolk County office, the village was an ideal candidate for this “local safe streets and traffic calming program” grant. “They met our criteria and expectations for identifying a local need and taking that on as a project that could fund in part by themselves,” she said. “… Lynbrook is qualified and we think it is a good project. It is attractive for the community with all the landscaping.”

In their effort to continue Streetscape beautification programs, the village was awarded $232,640 on Sept. 23 as a part of the grant, which amounts to 80 percent of the cost of the area improvement project. The other 20 percent is a local match of $58,160 that the village will seek to leverage from other grants, according to Village Administrator John Giordano. Nonetheless, the whole project is green lighted for a total of $290,800.

“There are 95 villages that could have applied,” Giordano said. “We are pleased in being one of the nine projects approved, and it will serve to begin a incremental phase in improving this North Lynbrook commercial area, which serves as a focal point of those traveling to Lynbrook from Malverne.“

For the village, the grant’s purpose is two- fold: to enhance beautification and increase traffic calming. Giordano added that with a target area of the five corners, which includes Cross Island Fruits and Citgo Gas Station, the village can replicate the “beautification” that he said has been successfully done over the last three years on Broadway, Stauderman Avenue, and the Lynbrook LIRR station. “The little 5 corners area is an area having potential for improvement,” Giordano said.