Huntington – The Town of Huntington
has released its Environmental Open
Space and Park (EOSPA) Fund and Land Conservation 20-Year Progress Report, spanning the
Town’s open space preservation achievements from the inception of the EOSPA
Committee in September 1998 through October 2018.
“EOSPA funds allow us to preserve
open space, make improvements to our local parks, enhance our streetscapes and
increase energy efficiency,” said Supervisor Chad A. Lupinacci. “Thank you to
past and present members of the EOSPA Committee for all the important work you
do to keep Huntington green and to our many partners that have added
support. This report represents a concerted effort to use an array of
tools to further our community goals and provide resources that meet our residents’
interests and needs.”
2018-specific EOSPA highlights,
January through October, include:
2018 EOSPA
HIGHLIGHTS
·
Town’s first spray park, Sgt. Paul Tuozzolo
Memorial Spray Park, was built, opened, and operated for its inaugural summer
season (Elwood Park).
·
New Harborfields Community Playground, inclusive
for children of all physical abilities, is in development (in partnership with
Harborfields CSD, first with a school district, 50% EOSPA-funded).
·
NYS CFA Grants were sought to leverage EOSPA
matching funds for several projects: Heckscher Park centennial fencing, Cow
Harbor Park/Woodbine Marina restroom facility, Halesite Marina Park
reconstruction.
·
Suffolk County Downtown Revitalization Program
grants were sought to leverage EOSPA support: Laurel Road, Northport and
Broadway, Greenlawn streetscaping projects.
·
Funding for new more efficient LED
lighting/poles for Manor Field Park synthetic field was approved.
The 2018 EOSPA Program
Status Report
is a comprehensive look back at the open space and conservation achievements
from the past 20 years, including the 1998-2008 period and picking up where the
August 2008 Program
Status Report
leaves off, detailing achievements from 2008-2018, including:
2008-2018 EOSPA
ACCOMPLISHMENTS
OPEN
SPACE:
The Town closed 17 acquisition projects protecting 94.5 acres with EOSPA
funding:
·
2 new active parks: Sweet Hollow Park, Melville
(partially passive) and Erb Farm Park, Dix Hills
·
4 new passive parks: Davis Brickmaker Preserve,
Fort Salonga; Carpenter Farm Park, Huntington; Wawapek, Cold Spring
Harbor (with Suffolk County & North Shore Land Alliance); and Surrey Ridge
Park, Fort Salonga
·
10 additions to 6 existing parks: 5 parcels
added to Gateway Park, Huntington Station; 1 parcel added to each: Otsego
Park, Dix Hills; Huntington Heritage Park, Huntington; Phragmites Park,
Centerport; Wawapek, Cold Spring Harbor; and Surrey Ridge Park, Fort
Salonga; and
·
1 acquisition of farmland development rights
(with Suffolk County )at Richter’s Orchard, East Northport.
PARK
IMPROVEMENTS:
The Town Board allocated EOSPA funding for improvements to 35 parks including
but not limited to:
·
4 complete new parks were developed in areas
that were underserved for active recreational resources (Breezy Park,
Coral Park, Sweet Hollow Park, Erb Farm Park);
·
EOSPA support was leveraged for major park
renovations: Veterans Park Complex with Town’s first concrete skate park and
boundless playground, along with 2 new synthetic regulation-sized multi-use
fields; Dix Hills Ice Rink with new rink and site improvements; and Sunshine
Acres Park redesign with new playground, restroom, walkways and reconfigured
ballfields;
·
the first outdoor fitness equipment arrays; new
picnic tables and bleachers; ballfield renovations with new backstops, fencing
and dugouts; new playgrounds, kayak racks, trail signage throughout the Town,
beach entrance booths, and over 1,000 trees were supported;
·
New adaptive equipment (swings, floating beach
wheelchair, pool lift, accessible picnic tables, concrete pads for bleachers,
restroom enhancements) at multiple parks; and
·
Heckscher Park amphitheater and viewing area
renovation (the most intensely-used park area in the Town inventory/home of the
Summer Arts Festival).
NEIGHBORHOOD
ENHANCEMENTS:
The Town Board allocated EOSPA funding for 30 neighborhood enhancement
projects, including, but not limited to:
·
streetscape improvements throughout the Town’s
hamlet centers (sidewalks, curbs, universally-accessible ramps, lighting,
crosswalks, bicycle racks, landscaping);
·
traffic calming measures (driver feedback signs,
crosswalks, pedestrian-activated beacons, sidewalk bump-outs);
·
sustainable storm water management (raingardens,
bioswales, permeable pavers);
·
a new community garden developed at Gateway Park
and outreach garden refurbished at Kubecka Garden; and
·
environmental assessment and mitigation of the
James D. Conte Center.
GREEN
PROJECTS*:
The Town Board allocated EOSPA funding for 9 green/energy efficient projects at
17 sites:
·
electric car charging stations at Town Hall and
LIRR/Huntington South Parking Garage;
·
light fixtures to increase efficiency and save
energy: high pressure sodium fixtures replaced by induction lights (North and
South Parking Garages at Huntington LIRR Station) and metal halide and
florescent fixtures replaced by LED fixtures (Town Hall, Vehicle
Maintenance/Boxer Court, HART Bus facility, Pulaski Road/Kavanagh parks
maintenance facility and 11 park sites);
·
planning and analysis for Huntington Community
Potential Critical Infrastructure Complex Microgrid (NYS grant competition for
which Town has been awarded $1.1 million for first two stages); and
·
contracted professional services for Climate
Smart Communities Certification and Climate Action Plan Update.
The
comprehensive 20-year report can be found under the page for the Planning & Environment
Department
> Studies & Reports > Site Specific Plans, Reports & Studies >
Environmental Education Studies & Reports > 2018 EOSPA Program
Status.
In
the photo: Celebrating EOSPA’s 20th Anniversary on August 14, 2018,
(seated l-r) Herb McGrail, original member, represents Scouting (former
regional Eagle Scout Coordinator for the Boy Scouts); Margo Myles, Sr.
Environmental Analyst, Open Space Coordinator since program start, represents
Department of Planning & Environment; Joy Squires, Chairperson, original
member, represents Huntington Conservation Board; Barbara Haerter, original
member, represents Huntington Greenway Trails Committee; (standing l-r) Lauren Credidio,
EOSPA Secretary, Department of Planning & Environment; Lisa Brieff, member;
Supervisor Chad A. Lupinacci; Greg Wagner, Director, Parks and Recreation;
Emerson Boozer, Vice Chairperson; Ken Christensen, member, represents
Huntington Chamber of Commerce; Mike Karp, member. Missing from photo: Todd
Krasner, member; Steven Spucces, member; Ed Gathman, EOSPA Counsel, represents
Town Attorney’s office.
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