Yonkers NYRCR NY RISING COMMUNITY RECONSTRUCTION PLAN December 2014 NY Rising Community Reconstruction Program YONKERS NY RISING Community Reconstruction Plan Members of the Yonkers NYRCR Planning Committee Rick Magder, Co-chair Gail O’Rourke, Co-chair Steven Brown Stephen Force Kathy Graves Jagdish Mistry Leon Nanton Kerry Smith Paul Summerfield Renee Toback Bob Walters Prepared By This document was developed by the Yonkers NYRCR Planning Committee as part of the NY Rising Community Reconstruction (NYRCR) Program within the Governor’s Office of Storm Recovery. The NYRCR Program is supported by NYS Homes and Community Renewal and NYS Department of State. The document was prepared by the following consulting firms: AKRF, Inc.; MJ Engineering and Land Surveying, P.C.; Nagle, Tatich, Cranston LLC d/b/a Elan.3.Consulting (E.3); Sasaki Associates, Inc.; Arch Street Communications, Inc.; and CDM Smith, Inc. Executive Summary i YONKERS NY RISING Community Reconstruction Plan ii Introduction Foreword Introduction only that community members are best positioned to assess the needs and opportunities of the places In the span of approximately one year, beginning in where they live and work, but also that decisions are August 2011, the State of New York experienced three best made when they are grounded in rigorous analy- extreme weather events. Hurricane Irene, Tropical sis and informed by the latest innovative solutions. Storm Lee, and Superstorm Sandy wreaked havoc on the lives of New Yorkers and their communities. These Launched in the summer of 2013 and completed in tragic disasters signaled that New Yorkers are living in March 2014, Round I of the NYRCR planning process a new reality defined by rising sea levels and extreme included 50 NYRCR Planning Areas, comprising 102 weather events that will occur with increased fre- storm-impacted localities. In January 2014, Governor quency and power. They also signaled that we need to Cuomo announced a second round of the planning rebuild our communities in a way that will mitigate process, serving an additional 22 storm-impacted against future risks and build increased resilience. localities. Four of these localities were absorbed into existing Round I NYRCR Planning Areas, bringing the To meet these pressing needs, Governor Andrew M. number of localities participating in Round I up to 106; Cuomo led the charge to develop an innovative, the other 18 localities formed 16 new Round II NYRCR community-driven planning program on a scale Planning Areas. Between Rounds I and II, there are 66 unprecedented and with resources unparalleled. The NYRCR Planning Areas, comprising 124 localities. NY Rising Community Reconstruction (NYRCR) The program serves over 2.7 million New Yorkers and Program, within the Governor’s Office of Storm covers nearly 6,500 square miles, which is equivalent Recovery (GOSR), empowers the State’s most to 14% of the overall State population and 12% of the impacted communities with the technical expertise State’s overall geography. and funding resources needed to develop thorough and implementable reconstruction plans to build In Rounds I and II, the State allotted between $3 physically, socially, and economically resilient and million and $25 million to each participating locality for sustainable communities. the implementation of eligible projects identified in the NYRCR Plan. The funding for these projects is pro- vided through the U.S. Department of Housing and Program Overview Urban Development (HUD) Community Development Block Grant – Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) The NYRCR Program, announced by Governor program.1 Cuomo in April of 2013, is a more than $700 million planning and implementation program established to Each NYRCR Planning Area is represented by a NYRCR provide rebuilding and resiliency assistance to com- Planning Committee composed of local residents, busi- munities severely damaged by Hurricane Irene, Tropi- ness owners, and civic leaders. Members of the Plan- cal Storm Lee, and Superstorm Sandy. Drawing on ning Committees were identified in consultation with lessons learned from past recovery efforts, the NYRCR Program is a unique combination of bottom-up com- 1 Five of the Round I Planning Areas—Niagara, Herkimer, Oneida, munity participation and State-provided technical Madison, and Montgomery Counties—are not funded through the expertise. This powerful combination recognizes not CDBG-DR program. Foreword iii YONKERS NY RISING Community Reconstruction Plan established local leaders, community organizations allotted a share of the competition’s $3.5 million to and, in some cases, municipalities. The NYRCR fund additional eligible projects. Program sets a new standard for community partici- pation in recovery and resiliency planning, with com- In April 2014, Governor Cuomo announced that proj- munity members leading the planning process. Across ects identified in NYRCR Plans would receive priority the State, more than 650 New Yorkers have repre- consideration through the State’s Consolidated sented their communities by serving on Planning Funding Application (CFA) process and charged the Committees. Nearly 650 Planning Committee Meet- Regional Economic Development Councils (REDCs), ings have been held, during which Planning Commit- which play an advisory role in the CFA process, to tee members worked with the State’s team to develop support NYRCR projects. In December 2014, Gover- community reconstruction plans, which identify nor Cuomo announced that 24 NYRCR projects opportunities to make their communities more resil- received nearly $12 million in CFA funding. This ient. All meetings were open to the public. An addi- announcement is an example of the Governor honor- tional 250+ Public Engagement Events attracted ing his commitment to leverage the work of the thousands of community members, who provided NYRCR Planning Committees to incorporate resil- feedback on the planning process and resulting pro- ience into other State programs and to find additional posals. The NYRCR Program’s outreach has included sources of funding for NYRCR projects. The NYRCR communities that are traditionally underrepresented, Program is also working with both private and public such as immigrant populations and students. All plan- institutions to identify existing funding sources and to ning materials are posted on the program’s website create funding opportunities where none existed (www.stormrecovery.ny.gov/nyrcr), providing several before. ways for community members and the public to submit feedback on the program and materials in The NYRCR Program has successfully coordinated progress. with State and Federal agencies to help guide the development of feasible projects. The program has Throughout the planning process, Planning Commit- leveraged the REDC State Agency Review Teams tees were supported by staff from GOSR, planners (SARTs), composed of representatives from dozens of from New York State (NYS) Department of State and State agencies and authorities, for feedback on proj- NYS Department of Transportation, and consultants ects proposed by NYRCR Planning Committees. The from world-class planning firms that specialize in SARTs review projects with an eye toward regulatory engineering, flood mitigation solutions, green infra- and permitting needs, policy objectives, and preexist- structure, and more. ing agency funding sources. The NYRCR Program is continuing to work with the SARTs to streamline the The NYRCR Program does not end with this NYRCR permitting process and ensure shovels are in the Plan. Governor Cuomo has allotted over $700 million ground as quickly as possible. for planning as well as implementing eligible projects identified in NYRCR Plans. NYRCR Planning Areas On the pages that follow, you will see the results of are also eligible for additional funds through the NY months of thoughtful, diligent work by the Yonkers Rising to the Top Competition, which evaluates appli- NYRCR Planning Committee, which is passionately cations from Round II NYRCR Planning Committees committed to realizing a brighter, more resilient future across three categories—Regional Approach, Inclu- for its community. sion of Vulnerable Populations, and Use of Green Infrastructure. The winner of each category will be iv Foreword YONKERS NY RISING Community Reconstruction Plan The NYRCR Plan While developing projects for inclusion in NYRCR Plans, Planning Committees took into account cost This NYRCR Plan is an important step toward rebuild- estimates, cost-benefit analyses, the effectiveness of ing a more resilient community. Each NYRCR Plan- each project in reducing risk to populations and criti- ning Committee began the planning process by defin- cal assets, feasibility, and community support. Plan- ing the scope of its planning area, assessing storm ning Committees also considered the potential likeli- damage, and identifying critical issues. Next, the hood that a project or action would be eligible for Planning Committee inventoried critical assets in the CDBG-DR funding. Projects and actions implemented community and assessed the assets’ exposure to with this source of Federal funding must satisfy a risk. On the basis of this work, the Planning Commit- Federally-designated eligible activity category, fulfill a tee described recovery and resiliency needs and iden- national objective (i.e., meeting an urgent need, tified opportunities. The Planning Committee then removing slums and blight, or benefiting low- to developed a series of comprehensive reconstruction moderate-income