The Village of Mineola’s portion of the construction work intended to resolve recurrent flooding problems in the Bruce Terrace area has begun.
Thomas Rini, superintendent of the village Department of Works, told village board members at last Wednesday night’s board meeting two new drainage basins are now being constructed with the installation of 30-inch drainage pipes to replace 18-inch drainage pipes to follow.
“This will be the first sign of the project the residents see. They deserve some relief,” Village of Mineola Scott Strauss said.
Rini has said the village’s work will include installation of two new drainage manholes, four new catch basins and removal of approximately 300 feet of existing 18-inch-drainage pipe, which will be replaced by a 30-inch drainage pipe on Bruce Terrace. The village retained contractor Road Work Ahead for the project.
The village had already begun preparatory work on its part of the project on Westbury Avenue several months ago.
“This has been a long drawn-out process. We said we’d get it done and we are,” Strauss said of the project that has been planned since 2010.
The Bruce Terrace work is part of a larger flood-relief project that includes work by the village, the Town of North Hempstead and Nassau County to relieve flooding problems on the border of Mineola and Carle Place. The village, the town and the county each received $800,000 in state grant funds for their respective segments of the flood relief project.
State Sen. Jack Martins (R-Mineola) facilitated restoration of the $2.4 million in funding in 2011 after the original grant, which was secured by the Town of North Hempstead through then-state Sen. Craig Johnson, was left in limbo after Johnson lost his seat to Martins in the 2010 election.
The village’s portion of the project will cost a total of $1.7 million. The total cost for the town’s portion of the project is $1.1 million.
The town is responsible for installing new catch basins and drainage pipes on three or four streets adjacent to the Mineola-Carle Place border. It will also construct a catch basin on Mineola land at the Old Motor Parkway property north of Westbury Avenue.
The county’s $1.7 million portion of the project includes installation of 1,715 feet of 36-inch or 48-inch interceptor pipe on Sheridan Boulevard from Raff Avenue, crossing Westbury Avenue and entering the Mineola catch basin.
In other developments:
• Strauss gave commendations to Cub Scout Nicholas Ramos and the fourth grade friend and classmate, Steven Jones, who Ramos recently saved from choking while the two boys were having lunch in the Jackson Avenue School cafeteria. Jones signaled his friend that he was choking by putting his hands around his neck and Ramos immediately reacted, performing a back-thrust maneuver his mother and den leader has taught him. Strauss praised the boys for staying calm and doing the right thing, and particularly praised Ramos for his timely action.
“You saved your friend’s life and there’s nothing more you can ask for in life than to save someone’s life,” Strauss said.
Jones and his mother, Lourain, also presented Nicholas with a trophy.
“We’re eternally grateful to this wonderful den leader and this brave young boy,” Lourain said.
• Environmentalist Richard Brummel, an East Hills resident, addressed the village board for the third time to elicit support to save a red oak he said may be endangered. The tree, which Brummel said is 125 years old, stands in the back yard of a house at 208 Roslyn Road in Mineola. Brummel said the house has been foreclosed and will likely be remodeled and the tree likely removed when it is purchased.
“Your residents want this tree preserved,” said Brummel, who claims he has collected 200 signatures on a petition asking the village to take action to save the tree.
“Nobody has come up to me and said anything about this tree,” Strauss told Brummel.
Brummel persisted in pleading his case until Strauss said the board had already heard his plea for the tree and thanked him for his comments.
Village resident Bill Urianek said people have told him they oppose the village board adopting a tree protection policy as Brummel suggested during comments to the board at the Feb. 13 meeting.
“They don’t want you telling them what to do on their property,” Urianek said.
Village Trustee Lawrence Werther and Deputy Mayor Paul Pereira both objected to Brummel reportedly telling residents they supported his effort to save the red oak.
After the meeting Pereira told reporters that while he appreciated Brummel’s “zeal and passion” he did not support Brummel’s initiative.
“I do not support any infringement on people’s property rights,” Pereira said. “We know how to protect our village.”
