On the right path in Lynbrook

Village approves $200K grant for sidewalks

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Work to improve downtown sidewalks and ornamental lighting has commenced throughout Lynbrook after Mayor Bill Hendrick signed off on a $200,000 Nassau County community development grant at a village board meeting on Oct. 3.

Hendrick has described the Atlantic Avenue shopping district as a top priority and added he believes the work in that area will be done by Christmas. Other areas that will be worked on are Stauderman Avenue, Hempstead Avenue and Broadway.

“We are repairing some of the old brickwork that needed some updating and was faded, so they’re making it brand new,” Hendrick said. “We also have more money to do other areas in the village.”

Rockville Centre-based company Robustello & Son Inc., which specializes in paving and masonry work, is tasked with the improvements. The crew is installing a new type of red brick, which is permanent in color and won’t fade. The difference in the new brick is that it is set down in cement rather than sand, which will help it maintain its evenness with the street.

The new brick has already been installed outside of Our Lady of Peace Church on Fowler Avenue. Robert Giacopelli, who has lived in Lynbrook for 26 years and has been a homeowner for the past 16, is the president of the Lady of Peace Father’s Club. The LOPFC works on beautifying areas around the church. Giacopelli stressed the importance of the grant and upgrading the areas around the church.

“I think for any municipality beautification is primary,” Giacopelli said. “It’s our community and anything we can do to improve on that is aesthetically pleasing. It’s also a safety and quality of life issue. We’re really appreciative of what the village has done.”

The grant comes on the heels of the completion of a $1.1 million Streetscape Improvement program on Merrick Road, which was backed by grant funds. There are plans to upgrade signposts as well, but Hendrick said they wouldn’t come to fruition until January or February.

“The goal is to beautify the downtown commercial areas,” Village Administrator John Giordano said. “This results in more of a presence of our downtown area. So when our downtown area improves, it has a residual effect that improves not only commercial property value, but residential property value.”

The village board of trustees is already pleased with other areas that have been improved under the streetscapes project prior to the signing of the grant.

“This is very important,” Hendrick said. “People that we’ve done already love it. Those that don’t have it yet, they were saying, ‘When are we going to get ours?’ Secondly, it makes everything look much nicer. It’s inviting to Lynbrook. It keeps it spit-shined and polished.”