Bayville village say still no plans for inn on Steve’s Pier property

While the Bayville Village Board shared no new information at its most recent meeting on plans for redevelopment of the former Steve’s Pier property, 33 Bayville Ave., they did move forward on several other issues. Three public hearings were held during the March 28 meeting each focusing on one of the following: a tentative budget for 2016-17, a contract with the Bayville Fire Company No. 1, and Community Development Block Grant funds for the upcoming year.

During the public comment portion of the meeting, after hearing nothing about the proposal for a seaside inn on the Steve’s Pier property, one resident asked for an update.

“We haven’t got a plan in front of us,” said Mayor Paul Rupp.

“What we’ve seen are conceptual plans,” Deputy Mayor Joe Russo added, “but no formal proposal [have come] in front of the village.”

According to the public notice on the village’s budget hearing, the tentative budget, which would run through May 2017, would include a maximum compensation of $2,500 per year for the mayor and $1,500 each for the trustees. According to Rupp, the budget would be kept under the 2 percent cap imposed by the state. “Every year it gets harder, with unfunded mandates,” he said. “And this is the last year there’s a financial incentive to do so. We’ll possibly be over the cap next year.”

There were few comments from the public on any of the public hearings, though Russo provided some clarification on the use of Community Development Block Grant funds over the years, which the board authorized continuing.

“In the area of residential rehabilitation, there have been a number of residents who have done new roofs, windows, handicapped access over the years,” he said. “That requires income verification of course. But that’s not the most heavily used portion of the program.”

Russo noted the three commercial projects that “everyone will be familiar with” that made use of CDBG funds: the façade of the Tilford Building on Ludlam Avenue; rehabilitation of Joe Florio’s Deli building; and a third project “in process” — rehabilitation of the DiGanci Building, on the corner of Bayville and Ludlam.

As part of a consortium of 34 municipalities countywide, Bayville has been a recipient of funds through Nassau County’s CDBG Urban Consortium for many years, including 2013, when it received funds for post-Hurricane Sandy rehabilitation — particularly the rebuilding of the Creek Road wall.

Now in its 42nd year, the federally funded program, through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Renewal, provides support for residential rehabilitation, commercial rehabilitation and affordable housing activities nationwide. According to Nassau County, eligible projects include large scale neighborhood revitalization projects, infrastructure improvements, parks and playground enhancements, code enforcement, public service initiatives, and providing accessibility for the physically challenged. Grant funds are also allocated to rehabilitate eligible homes for the physically challenged and senior citizen households making them accessible, energy efficient and lead paint safe.

Also on the agenda was a public hearing to consider a contract with Bayville Fire Company No. 1 for fire protection and related emergency services to the village, at which time and place the board will consider the proposed contract and hear from those interested in the same.

The proposed fire protection contract is for two years beginning June 1. It calls for annual payments by the village to the Fire Company for $507,495 in 2016-17 and $525,257 the following year. Under the contract, the village will also provide volunteer firefighters with coverage under the Volunteer Firefighters’ Benefits Law at an additional expense. The mayor was authorized to sign the contract.

The tentative budget was accepted at the meeting and it is expected to be approved on April 25.