New York Rising Community Reconstruction Plan Town Of
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NYRCR Town of Wallkill NY Rising Community Reconstruction Plan DECEMBER 2014 NY RISING COMMUNITY RECONSTRUCTION PROGRAM Town of Wallkill NYRCR Planning Committee Robert Beemer* Neil Meyer* Dan Depew** Lou Ingrassia** Inder Kumar Frank LoSauro Sal Lucido *indicates Co-Chair **indicates Non-voting Committee Member This document was developed by the Town of Wallkill NY Rising Community Reconstruction (NYRCR) Planning Committee as part of the NYRCR Program within the Governor’s Office of Storm Recovery. The NYRCR Program is supported by New York State (NYS) Homes and Community Renewal, the NYS Department of State, and the NYS Department of Transportation. This document was prepared by the consulting firm Tetra Tech, Inc. The Consultant Team, led by Tetra Tech, Inc., included: Susan G. Blickstein, AICP, PP, PhD The Byne Group Hudson Valley Planning and Preservation The McKissak & McKissack Group, Inc. Nova Consulting & Engineering, LLC SCAPE / Landscape Architecture PLLC Cover image is courtesy of Eric Thayer. Town of Wallkill NY Rising Community Reconstruction Plan needs and opportunities of the places where they live Foreword and work, but also that decisions are best made when they are grounded in rigorous analysis and informed by the latest innovative solutions. Launched in the summer of 2013 and completed in Introduction March 2014, Round I of the NYRCR planning process included 50 NYRCR Planning Areas, comprising 102 n the span of approximately one year, beginning in storm-impacted localities. In January 2014, Governor August 2011, the State of New York experienced Cuomo announced a second round of the planning three extreme weather events. Hurricane Irene, process, serving an additional 22 storm-impacted Tropical Storm Lee, and Superstorm Sandy wreaked localities. Four of these localities were absorbed into havoc on the lives of New Yorkers and their existing Round I NYRCR Planning Areas, bringing the Icommunities. These tragic disasters signaled that number of localities participating in Round I up to 106; New Yorkers are living in a new reality defined by rising the other 18 localities formed 16 new Round II NYRCR sea levels and extreme weather events that will occur Planning Areas. Between Rounds I and II, there are 66 with increased frequency and power. They also signaled NYRCR Planning Areas, comprising 124 localities. The that we need to rebuild our communities in a way program serves over 2.7 million New Yorkers and covers that will mitigate against future risks and build nearly 6,500 square miles, which is equivalent to 14% increased resilience. of the overall State population and 12% of the State’s overall geography. To meet these pressing needs, Governor Andrew M. Cuomo led the charge to develop an innovative, In Rounds I and II, the State allotted between $3 million community-driven planning program on a scale and $25 million to each participating locality for the unprecedented and with resources unparalleled. implementation of eligible projects identified in the The NY Rising Community Reconstruction (NYRCR) NYRCR Plan. The funding for these projects is provided Program empowers the State’s most impacted through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban communities with the technical expertise needed to Development (HUD) Community Development Block develop thorough and implementable reconstruction Grant—Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) program.1 plans to build physically, socially, and economically resilient and sustainable communities. Each NYRCR Planning Area is represented by a NYRCR Planning Committee composed of local residents, business owners, and civic leaders. Members of the Program Overview Planning Committees were identified in consultation with established local leaders, community organizations The NYRCR Program, announced by Governor Cuomo and, in some cases, municipalities. The NYRCR Program in April of 2013, is a more than $700 million planning sets a new standard for community participation in and implementation program established to provide recovery and resiliency planning, with community rebuilding and resiliency assistance to communities members leading the planning process. Across the severely damaged by Hurricane Irene, Tropical Storm State, more than 650 New Yorkers have represented Lee, and Superstorm Sandy. Drawing on lessons their communities by serving on Planning Committees. learned from past recovery efforts, the NYRCR Program Nearly 650 Planning Committee Meetings have been is a unique combination of bottom-up community held, during which Planning Committee members participation and State-provided technical expertise. This powerful combination recognizes not only that 1 Five of the Round I Planning Areas—Niagara, Herkimer, Oneida, Madison, community members are best positioned to assess the and Montgomery Counties—are not funded through the CDBG-DR Program. FOREWORD i Town of Wallkill NY Rising Community Reconstruction Plan worked with the State’s team to develop community leverage the work of the NYRCR Planning Committees reconstruction plans, which identify opportunities to incorporate resilience into other State programs and to make their communities more resilient. All to find additional sources of funding for NYRCR projects. meetings were open to the public. An additional 250+ The NYRCR Program is also working with both Public Engagement Events attracted thousands of private and public institutions to identify existing community members, who provided feedback on the funding sources and to create funding opportunities planning process and resulting proposals. The NYRCR where none existed before. Program’s outreach has included communities that are traditionally underrepresented, such as immigrant The NYRCR Program has successfully coordinated populations and students. All planning materials are with State and Federal agencies to help guide the posted on the program’s website (www.stormrecovery. development of feasible projects. The program has ny.gov/nyrcr), providing several ways for community leveraged the REDC State Agency Review Teams (SARTs), members and the public to submit feedback on the composed of representatives from dozens of State program and materials in progress. agencies and authorities, for feedback on projects proposed by NYRCR Planning Committees. The SARTs Throughout the planning process, Planning Committees review projects with an eye toward regulatory and were supported by staff from GOSR, planners from permitting needs, policy objectives, and preexisting New York State (NYS) Department of State and NYS agency funding sources. The NYRCR Program is Department of Transportation, and consultants from continuing to work with the SARTs to streamline the world-class planning firms that specialize in engineering, permitting process and ensure shovels are in the ground flood mitigation solutions, green infrastructure, as quickly as possible. and more. On the pages that follow, you will see the results of The NYRCR Program does not end with this NYRCR months of thoughtful, diligent work by the Town Plan. Governor Cuomo has allotted over $700 million of Wallkill NYRCR Planning Committee, which is for planning as well as implementing eligible projects passionately committed to realizing a brighter, more identified in NYRCR Plans. NYRCR Planning Areas are resilient future for its community. also eligible for additional funds through the NY Rising to the Top Competition, which evaluates applications from Round II NYRCR Planning Committees across The NYRCR Plan three categories—Regional Approach, Inclusion of Vulnerable Populations, and Use of Green This NYRCR Plan is an important step toward rebuilding Infrastructure. The winner of each category will be a more resilient community. Each NYRCR Planning allotted a share of the competition’s $3.5 million to Committee began the planning process by defining the fund additional eligible projects. scope of its planning area, assessing storm damage, and identifying critical issues. Next, the Planning Committee In April 2014, Governor Cuomo announced that inventoried critical assets in the community and projects identified in NYRCR Plans would receive priority assessed the assets’ exposure to risk. On the basis of consideration through the State’s Consolidated Funding this work, the Planning Committee described recovery Application (CFA) process and charged the Regional and resiliency needs and identified opportunities. Economic Development Councils (REDCs), which The Planning Committee then developed a series of play an advisory role in the CFA process, to support comprehensive reconstruction and resiliency strategies, NYRCR projects. In December 2014, Governor Cuomo and identified projects and implementation actions to announced that 24 NYRCR projects received nearly help fulfill those strategies. $12 million in CFA funding. This announcement is an example of the Governor honoring his commitment to ii FOREWORD Town of Wallkill NY Rising Community Reconstruction Plan The projects and actions set forth in this NYRCR The total cost of Proposed Projects in this NYRCR Plan Plan are divided into three categories. The order exceeds the NYRCR Planning Area’s CDBG-DR allotment in which the projects and actions are listed in this to allow for flexibility if some Proposed Projects NYRCR Plan does not necessarily indicate the Planning cannot be implemented due to environmental review, Committee’s prioritization of these projects and actions. HUD eligibility, technical feasibility, or other factors. Proposed Projects are projects proposed