|
RCBJ-Audible (Listen For Free)
 |
BRIDGES Receives Donation from Eagle Scout Candidate To Install Non-Verbal Communication Boards In Rockland County
BRIDGES CEO Carlos Martinez welcomed Eagle Scout Candidate Harry Mirijanian IV to the organization’s headquarters recently to accept a donation of $1275 to be used for the installation of non-verbal communication boards throughout parks in Rockland County.
Mirijanian raised more than $7000 as part of his Eagle Scout Project to install the boards in parks in the Town of Orangetown, including in the accessible playground in Orangetown’s Veterans Memorial Park.
Additional boards were installed in Cherry Brook Park, Pilgrim Court, Stoughton Park, Tappan/303 Park and Depot Square. Orangetown plans to install two additional boards in South Nyack and is working with Piermont Mayor Bruce Tucker to install a board at a park in the Village.
The Eagle Scout, who wanted to do something impactful and replicable, said, “I know the entire community will benefit from a project like this because the boards can be used by people of all ages and abilities. I believe this is an important and impactful project that can easily be replicated at any park.”
He worked with a special education teacher and others in the field to ensure the boards were designed properly.
After seeing the project’s crowdfunding page, a BRIDGES staffer contacted the scout’s father about the project. When told of the initiative, BRIDGES was thrilled to see the final installation. To expand the installation to other parks in Rockland, BRIDGES accepted the remaining funds to work with the county, towns, and villages to install as many boards in Rockland’s parks as possible.
“This is exactly the kind of project BRIDGES aims to implement; a true systems-change that removes a communication barrier for a non-verbal person, fostering their independence, and bringing awareness to the greater community about a challenge some with disabilities face,” said Martinez.
BRIDGES intends to work with local officials to find appropriate sites for the boards and seek additional funding for multiple locations.
“We have our sights set on installing one of the non-verbal communication boards at the accessible park being planned in Clarkstown. Our former Director of Veterans Services and Clarkstown Ward 1 Councilman Mark Woods was the driving force behind planning the park, and we will honor his memory by working with the Town of Clarkstown on this installation.” Woods passed away suddenly earlier this year.
Town of Clarkstown Scores $5 Million Grant For TOD Infrastructure
The Town of Clarkstown has scored a $5 million grant for infrastructure improvements with Congressman Mike Lawler’s help in the Nanuet Transit Oriented Development district.
In 2019, a radius near the Nanuet Train Station, the Town’s only commuter rail stop, was re-zoned to facilitate targeted, mixed-use development and additional workforce housing in the hamlet center. The TOD concept aims to boost the existing commercial corridor while providing new housing options for residents seeking to live near, and utilize, the rail station.
Plans for the TOD have stalled – in at least one case, a property owner has been unwilling to sell major parcels. The town says it’s working with property owners in the Nanuet TOD interested in developing.
The town says “getting an actual project from the proposal stage to shovels in the ground has been further complicated over the years by the COVID pandemic, supply chain disruptions, and most recently the skyrocketing cost of financing and construction.”
In an effort to remove as many obstacles as possible for potential development, the Town submitted a funding request through Congressman Lawler’s office for much needed infrastructure improvements, the town wrote on its website.
The TOD was a decade-long project that involved meeting and collaborating with Metro North Railroad, New Jersey Transit, the New York Metropolitan Transportation Council, local property owners, residents, businesses, the Nanuet School District, Nanuet Civic Association, and the Nanuet Chamber of Commerce.
The $5 million dollars will be used for infrastructure projects such as sewer and drainage improvements, sidewalks, and improved multi-modal access to the TOD zone. The goal is to eventually create a model “live, work, play” community.
County & Town of Clarkstown Seeking Public Input on Route 303 & 304 Corridors Study
The Town of Clarkstown and the County of Rockland held its first Public Workshop for the Safety and Sustainability Study for the Route 303 & 304 Corridors last week.
The Safety and Sustainability Study for the Route 303 and 304 Corridors has several goals and objectives, including addressing the corridors and surrounding communities’ transportations needs and safety issues, and developing actionable and fundable recommendations for the future.
The study will assess existing conditions, traffic patterns and crash data along with land uses.
“We hope that residents will get involved in the project through these public outreach and workshop opportunities,” said County Executive Ed Day. “With residents sharing their vision and ideas for the future, our team will be able to work toward specific solutions for these vital corridors.”
The Rockland County Department of Public Transportation secured partial funding for the Study through the New York Metropolitan Transportation Council (NYMTC). As the Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) for New York City, Long Island and the lower Hudson Valley, NYMTC provides a collaborative planning forum to address transportation-related issues, develop regional plans and make decisions on the use of federal transportation funds.
Funding for the project was made available through the NYMTC Unified Planning Work Program (UPWP). Additional funding for the project was approved by the Rockland County Legislature as part of the County’s Capital Program.
“Traffic and safety conditions along NYS Routes 303 and 304 have a tremendous impact on the daily lives of many of Clarkstown’s residents,” said Clarkstown Supervisor George Hoehmann.
“This desperately needed study is an important initial step in identifying potential ways we can improve these roads and make a positive impact by aiming to reduce accidents and improve traffic flow,” said Clarkstown Supervisor George Hoehmann. “Numbers and metrics are vital, but they only paint a portion of the overall picture. For this study to be truly effective, input is needed from our residents who live on or near these roads and from those who drive along them on a daily basis. I hope our residents take full advantage of this rare opportunity to provide actionable input directly to NYS by participating in this study either in person or online.”
For more information: https://routes303and304study.mysocialpinpoint.com/
