Veraart said that South Valley Stream residents should keep track of changes at the mall property because of the impact they could have on nearby neighborhoods. For example, he said, more parking lots would likely pose a problem for homeowners. The mall ownership should be a partner, he explained, in coming up with projects to mitigate flooding in South Valley Stream.

There should also be storm drain improvements, Veraart said, to increase water retention capacity. Tenzer said that he would be submitting to the county a list of storm drains in Mill Brook that need to be cleaned.

The $3 million must be used on projects that will benefit the community as a whole. “This is really about a neighborhood,” Veraart said. “If a neighborhood as a group has been affected in a certain way, then we’d like to be aware of that because the solution that we would like to develop would apply to the entire neighborhood, not just to one individual house.”

While the state will ultimately decide how the $3 million is spent, recommendations will come from local residents. A public meeting will be held on Tuesday, Oct. 15, from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. at the Valley Stream American Legion hall, at 51 Roosevelt Ave. Residents of the CRZ are welcome.