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Lindenhurst has been working toward revitalizing its downtown and making the village more pedestrian-friendly.
A 100-page walkability study, commissioned by the village and adopted in August, made a number of recommendations including parking reconfiguration, road improvements, new signage, and curb and median alterations.
Suffolk County helped to fund the final report-called the Village of Lindenhurst Downtown Walkability Improvement Study-with a $200,000 grant from the County’s Department of Economic Development and Planning.
This month, Lindenhurst received another $350,000 from Suffolk County as part of its Jumpstart grant program. The money will go toward implementing some of the recommendations made in the initial walkability study.
“We will assess how much we can tackle,” Lindenhurst Village Trustee RJ Renna told GreaterBabylon by phone.
Renna is the chairman of the Lindenhurst Economic Development Committee, which seeks to encourage economic growth and guide future development in the village.
The committee commissioned the walkability study two years ago.
According to Renna, there are three main areas of improvement that the village would like to see implemented with this latest grant.
- To add bulb-outs to extend sidewalks, improving pedestrian safety and providing additional area for signage and other functional elements like seating and plantings
- Improvements to handicap accessible around the village
- Installing wayfinding signage to help people orient themselves in the village
Renna also mentioned the desire for a safety project to adjust the angle of parking on Wellwood Avenue to make it easier for people to back out of spots.
Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone visited the village to sign the resolution at the downtown’s newly-opened Villa Pizza with Mayor Michael Lavorata.
“This is how we do bill signings in Lindenhurst,” Bellone posted on Facebook along with a photo of the signing while enjoying a slice.
The Lindenhurst improvements are collectively one of eight specific projects that were unanimously approved for the Jumpstart grant program earlier this month by the Suffolk County Legislature through the Department of Economic Development and Planning. Other projects getting funding through the grant include the renovation of Babylon Village’s historic Argyle Falls, improvements to a pedestrian and bicycle pathway in Bay Shore, a parking garage in Patchogue, and a new parking lot in Port Jefferson Village.
In total, there is $5 million available for these initiatives.
Renna said that the three main improvements he outlined are a start toward implementing all of the study’s recommendations.
“We have the $350,000,” he said. “We will look at what we can do.”
Top: Suffolk County Steve Bellone signing the grant for Lindenhurst’s walkability improvements in the downtown new eatery, Villa Pizza (credit: Facebook).
