The Southampton Town Board, in anticipation of receiving $250,000 in Community Development Grant money, voted on Tuesday to allocate $170,000, or 68 percent of the money, to projects in the Flanders and Riverside hamlets.
The state grant, which is issued through Suffolk County, is given to the town each year to put toward improvements in communities where 51 percent or more of the population live under the area median income.
Southampton Town Housing and Community Development Director Diana Weir said the Flanders and Riverside communities are eligible to receive CDBG money, as is the North Sea community.
In Riverside, the town plans to invest $70,000 of the anticipated $250,000 from the CDBG into the Riverside Maritime Park, according to Ms. Weir. The funding will be used to help pay for engineering and surveying.
The town also plans to spend $20,000 of the grant money for a bus shelter in Riverside, which it did last year as well.
“The ones we like out here have a cedar roof and special way of doing glass to prevent graffiti,” Ms. Weir said. “The shelters can usually be purchased through the county, but the county uses a generic shelter that doesn’t fit what we like here.”
She added that the county used to build the shelters and the town would use the CDBG money to offset the cost, but now the county does not want to do that.
So, last year the town put $20,000 of the CDBG money aside for a shelter, and this year will do the same to have one roughly $40,000 shelter constructed and installed in Riverside.
Additionally, Iron Point Park and Ludlam Park will see $40,000 each for improvements. At Iron Point Park, the town plans to use the money to repave the entrance road which is crumbled, and in Ludlam Park, the town wants to use the money to help pay for fencing and a sidewalk.
Ms. Weir said the town is beginning to work on North Sea Park, and $45,000 will be put toward getting the process started.
The town will designate $10,000 to the Code Enforcement Department to help offset the cost of extra patrols and overtime in Riverside and Flanders, as well.
In addition to the $225,000 being spent on programs, the town will also spend $25,000 on public services.
Catholic Home Care, Maureen’s Haven, Sepa Mujer, the Children’s Museum of the East End and Heart of the Hamptons will all receive $5,000 in CDBG money from the town.
Flanders, Riverside, and Northampton Community Association President Vince Taldone told Town Board members he was thankful to see the CDBG money going into the community to help make the parks more accessible and usable.
He added that the parks will be a growing piece of the Riverside revitalization.
Greg Wehner on Nov 12, 2019