More than $4 million in Hurricane Sandy relief money needs to be spent on upgrading Southern Brooklyn’s insufficient sewage systems, among other projects, residents said this week.
The Southeast Brooklyn Waterfront Planning Committee unveiled the short- and long-term projects it says will help protect the area for future catastrophic storms at the final New York Rising public meeting on Jan. 14.
The committee decided how it wants to spend the $4.38 million allocated to the area on eight projects that are designed to build resiliency in in Bergen Beach, Mill Basin, Mill Island, and Marine Park after six months of community meetings.
The cost of the recommended projects — including a stormwater retention system, which would link with the city’s overhaul of the Bergen Beach sewer system — total more than $2 million more than the allotted amount, but a New York Rising coordinator said the committee factored in the possibility that some projects may not pan out, or additional funds might be granted in the future.
“The total estimated cost of Proposed Projects in the NYRCR Plan exceeds the NYRCR community’s [Community Development Block Grant-Disaster Relief] allocation to allow for flexibility if some proposed projects cannot be implemented due to environmental review, [Housing and Urban Development] eligibility, technical feasibility, or other factors,” said Chelsea Muller, the regional head of the New York Rising Reconstruction Program. “Also taken into consideration here… is the potential of additional sources of funding.”
Here are the eight projects the committee will submit to Albany for Gov. Cuomo’s final approval:
Bergen Beach Stormwater Retention-Detention System
This $500,000 project — which is in coordination with the city’s $10 million plan to construct a new sewer and outfall system for Bergen Beach — would be a three-to-five-year program to reduce stormwater runoff in areas prone to flooding.
Southeast Brooklyn Waterfront Coastal Protection Study
The one-year study, which would include coordination with the Army Corps of Engineers and cost $500,000, would determine the best way to protect the coastal neighborhoods before the next superstorm strikes.
Southeast Brooklyn Waterfront and Canarsie Stormwater Study and Pilot Projects
This two-part project involves a six-month study of potential stormwater capture and retention projects in conjunction with Canarsie residents, followed by a three-to-five-year pilot project based on the study’s results for a total cost of $650,000.
Alternative Power Hotspots
The hotspots would most likely be in parking lots and include charging stations that would provide electricity for cell phones during a power outage. The timeline for the project is one-to-two years and the cost for two hotspots is $300,000.
Emergency Preparedness Education Program
This two-year, $100,000 project includes informational sessions that would advise residents about what to do in the event of an emergency.
Recovery Community Centers
The centers would be placed in already existing facilities and would provide power and supplies for residents during emergencies. The two-year project would cost $1.5 million to create two-to-three centers.
Critical Facility Upgrades Program
This $1-million project would span one-to-two years and would fund building improvements — including backup generators and flood-proofing low-lying areas — for health and social services providers, such as hospitals and senior centers.
Homeowner Assistance Program
This two-year program, which would cost $2 million, would provide educational assistance, counseling, and audits for “high-risk homeowners” to advise residents on flood insurance rates and other financial questions.
A committee member said the eight projects don’t just focus on preparing the neighborhood for another Sandy. He said the projects are designed so that residents are protected in the event of an even more severe superstorm.
“The different things that we looked at will try and incorporate the most severe type of storm or the most severe type of application that we can come up with,” said Joe Dai, co-chairman of the committee “It is not just for another Sandy — it is going forward.”
