Another step forward: State grant boosts Somers' sidewalk initiative

SOMERS, N.Y. - Somers has received another chunk of state funding that it can use to help make itself more pedestrian friendly.

State Sen. Pete Harckham (D-40th District), accompanied by more than a dozen local leaders, held a press conference at Mount Kisco Village Hall on Thursday, July 30, to announce that $2.1 million was being divvied up for local public safety projects.

The money comes via the state’s Community Resiliency, Economic Sustainability, and Technology (CREST) program.

Each of the 21 municipalities in Harckham’s district will get a $100,000 grant.

Last year, Harckham delivered $2.1 million in CREST grants for municipalities to enhance public spaces. In 2023, the same amount was earmarked for municipalities to use on electrification projects.

It can be used at the discretion of local officials, whether it be for equipment for first responders, emergency communications systems, infrastructure upgrades, or pedestrian safety.

In Somers’ case, it plans to apply the new CREST money to its ongoing sidewalk project in the downtown Business/Historic District.

Councilman Richard Clinchy, who has long advocated for sidewalks, said connectability is important because not only does it create continuous, safe, and easy paths for people to use, it improves local property values and reduces pollution from motor vehicles.

Clinchy, speaking on behalf of Scorrano and the Town Board, said that he’s known Harckham since 2007.

“He’s been a friend of Somers ever since, so … no exception today.”

“Downtown Somers, as we call it, is basically a cross between Routes 100 and 202, which are both state roads. So, it’s easy to miss,” Clinchy said.

When people have to go from one shopping venue to the other, they now drive instead of just walk across the busy thoroughfare, he added.

“So this (the funding) will allow us to do what we started, with Peter’s help a few years ago, for crosswalks and sidewalks, which is a safety issue and will also make it more 'town-ish' in the middle of Somers so on behalf of the Town Board and Rob Scorrano, thank you so much for helping us.”

“Public safety is job number one for every elected official,” Harckham said. “Knowing that too often state grants are competitive, with many municipalities left out of the queue, I am pleased to be able to fund some of the public safety projects and initiatives that are ongoing or being lined up around Senate District 40.”

“These grants will make a real difference for these municipalities while also helping to ease the property tax burdens as well,” he added.

To date, the senator has secured more than $40 million in capital grants for the towns, cities, villages and community organizations across SD40 through CREST, the Local Community Assistance Program (LOCAP) and State Aid to Municipalities (SAM) grants since taking office in 2019.

That includes over $15 million just for local governments and over $11 million-plus for first responders -- local police and fire departments, EMTs, ambulance corps, public safety professionals.

“Our local officials face a number of competing challenges and priorities, which is why our partnerships with them are so vital. This funding shows that I am willing to work with all the communities and local leaders as they move forward with important projects that will benefit their communities,” Harckham said.

OTHER STEPS

Earlier this year, the town applied for a $1.5 million grant from the state’s Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP) to build and repair vital downtown sidewalks.

It is still waiting to hear if it will get the money.

The plan is to construct 850 feet of sidewalk along the north side of Route 202 and to fix existing walkways in the area.

(The TAP grant, if awarded, will cover up to 80 percent of the project’s cost. The mandatory 20 percent local contribution is capped at $380,562.)

The new walkway is intended to bridge the gap between the existing sidewalk west of the Heritage 202 Shopping Center and the Town Hall complex at the intersection of Routes 202 and 100.

Somers plans to combine this grant with several hundred thousand dollars previously secured by Harckham, along with the new CREST funding and community benefit funds provided by local developers.

Beyond improving foot traffic and walkability, local officials strategically paired the sidewalk initiative with a proposed municipal water district project.

Engineering reviews confirmed that executing both projects concurrently allows the town to optimize construction disruptions while simultaneously securing vital water resources.

(The town had been ordered by health officials to find a solution to PFAS contamination in The Elephant Hotel’s (Town Hall’s) water source. Employees at and visitors to the historical building have been drinking bottled water for years due to the supply’s high salt content.)

“I think it’s important. Why would we try to do a project piecemeal? Let’s try to get it in in one shot,” Scorrano had said at the time, adding that that way the town would only be doing construction along the busy roadway once.

The town has also received a $600,000 grant through Westchester’s Complete Streets Municipal Assistance Program.

It was among 12 municipalities selected for design and/or construction funding across the county, the county announced in July.

The program will award over $15 million to municipalities to improve sidewalks, pedestrian crossings, traffic safety, accessibility, streetscapes and bicycle connectivity.

CULVERT PROJECT UPDATE

Meanwhile, a state Department of Transportation culvert project that closed part of Route 202 between the Somers Middle School/Intermediate School campus and the downtown area is progressing.

Begun on July 13, it is expected to be completed before school reopens in September.

In the town’s July “recap,” Scorrano said that while the road closure “has required patience and adjustments, many residents have settled into the temporary traffic pattern, recognizing that this inconvenience is temporary and will result in a stronger, more resilient roadway for years to come.”

He also reminded folks that the pedestrian bridge “remains open throughout construction, providing safe access across the project area.”

GOOD TO KNOW

Pete Harckham represents the 40th Senate District, which includes the towns of Carmel, Kent, Patterson and Southeast, and the village of Brewster in Putnam County; the town of Stony Point in Rockland County; and the city of Peekskill, the towns of Bedford, Cortlandt, Lewisboro, New Castle, North Salem, Ossining, Somers and Yorktown, the town/village of Mount Kisco, and the villages of Briarcliff Manor, Buchanan, Croton-on-Hudson and Ossining in Westchester County.