LEWISBORO, N.Y. - Lewisboro has received a state grant that will be used for several projects that will benefit town residents.
The $100,000 in CREST (Community Resiliency, Economic Sustainability, and Technology) funding was announced by Sen. Pete Harckham at a press conference held on Monday, Aug. 4, in front of Somers’ Town Hall.
It was part of $2.1 million being distributed to municipalities in the 40th Senate District for the purposes of improving parks, playgrounds, municipal buildings and parking areas, ADA compliance, sidewalks, and promenades.
One such project in the conversion of a currently “underutilized” barn at Onatru Farm Park into a multi-use community space, including a senior center, said Supervisor Tony Gonçalves.
Prior CREST grants have been used for such things as the creation of new pickleball courts, he added.
Joining Harckham and Gonçalves Monday were more than a dozen local leaders, including Somers Supervisor Robert Scorrano, Bedford Supervisor Ellen Calves, Yorktown Supervisor Ed Lachterman, and Mount Kisco Mayor J. Michael Cindrich who also spoke about their plans for the grant.
Making sure to point out that each municipality was getting the same $100,000, Harckham said: “We hear a lot about things happening at the federal level, but where government most impacts the lives of our residents is at the local level.”
Local officials are facing “a number of competing challenges and priorities, which is why our partnerships with them are so vital,” he added.
There are many state grants available, but often the ones that come through agencies and the executive chamber are competitive, Harckham said.
“Usually it’s the folks that have the biggest grant writing departments that end up getting the grants and many other folks are left out of the queue,” he explained.
That’s why, Harckham said, he felt it was important to be “able to fund ongoing and planned public spaces initiatives” in his district.
“These grants will make a real difference for these municipalities while also helping to ease the property tax burdens as well,” he said.
Harckham said that, so far, he’s been able to secure $30 million in capital grants for the towns, cities and villages he represents through CREST, the Local Community Assistance Program (LOCAP), and State Aid to Municipalities (SAM) grants.
That includes $15.1 million just for local governments and about $10 million for first responders such as local police and fire departments, EMTs, ambulance corps, and public safety professionals.
The rest went to nonprofit organizations, health care centers, hospitals, libraries, and arts groups, Harckham said.
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