Projects, Reservoir Park Top CB 5 Budget Requests

For the second consecutive year, requests for sewer and park improvements within the confines of Community Board 5 were at the top of the list of capital budget priorities recommended by the advisory body.

The members approved a list compiled by its Executive Committee of recommendations for the city’s capital and expense budgets in fiscal year 2011 during Board 5’s Oct. 14 meeting at Christ the King Regional High School in Middle Village.

Every October, all community boards around New York City are asked to submit a list of capital and expense budget requests to the city in advance of the formation of its lists of expenditures for the next fiscal year, which begins the following July.

As in previous years, Board 5’s Executive Committee asked all board members to complete surveys of items for the capital and expense budgets. Using the previous year’s request lists as templates, each member was asked to number each item from one (for most important) to 30 (least important).

The scores are then tabulated by the Executive Committee, which reviews the results and uses the information while compiling the final lists of priorities.

Ranking number one on the list of capital budget items submitted by the board was the redesign and reconstruction of sewer systems in portions of the Board 5 area that are prone to flooding. Members also called on the city to provide new catch basins and reconstruct deteriorated basins (which was the fourth-ranked request).

Second on the list of capital budget items was the rehabilitation of the Ridgewood Reservoir and the surrounding area, including facilities in adjacent Highland Park. The board also recommended funding for the second phase of the reconstruction of Grover Cleveland Park in Ridgewood (fifth on the list) and reconstruction of ball fields, the jogging path and the installation of security lighting around Francis J. Principe Park (formerly known as Maurice Park) in Maspeth (eighth on the list).

Other items at the top of Board 5’s capital budget wish list included the reconstruction of the Cooper Avenue underpass on the Glendale/Middle Village border and construction of a new pedestrian crosswalk (third), renovation of deteriorated schools and the creation of new school space in Board 5 (sixth), the rehabilitation of the Glendale public library (seventh), the reconstruction of streets in southern Middle Village (ninth) and the widening of Metropolitan Avenue between Aubrey Avenue and Woodhaven Boulevard in Glendale (tenth).

Rounding out the top 30 projects as recommended by the Executive Committee (in numerical order) were the following:

• 11—the second phase of rehabilitation of the Ridgewood public library.

• 12—establishing a public park at the former St. Saviour’s Church site in Maspeth.

• 13—making capital improvements to enhance pedestrian and vehicular safety on Grand Avenue at 69th Street and other intersections in Maspeth.

• 14—the second phase of the reconstruction of Dry Harbor Playground in Glendale.

• 15—providing new street tree plantings around the Board 5 area.

• 16—establishing a community/ recreational center in Maspeth.

• 17—sewer projects along Flushing and Grand avenues in Maspeth.

• 18—providing funding for restoration of the Vander Ende-Onderdonk House in Ridgewood.

• 19—improving the Myrtle Avenue commercial strip between Fresh Pond Road and 80th Street in Glendale.

• 20—a comprehensive study of the sewer system in the Board 5 area and around Queens, including considering current flooding problems and anticipated future growth.

• 21—funding for the restoration of St. Saviour’s Church.

• 22—reconstruction and widening of the east sidewalk on the 80th Street overpass above the Long Island Rail Road in Glendale.

• 23—reconstruction of Palmetto Street between St. Nicholas and Seneca avenues in Ridgewood.

• 24—reconstruction of the DeKalb Avenue, Halsey Street and Jefferson Street stations on the L subway line.

• 25—reconstruction of 75th Street between Lutheran Avenue and Juniper Boulevard North in Middle Village.

• 26—providing decorative lighting and restoring deteriorated curbing along the Union Turnpike center mall between Myrtle Avenue and Woodhaven Boulevard.

• 27—improving the Myrtle/Wyckoff Avenues transit hub to include painting of the M train structure.

• 28—rehabilitation of the interior of the 104th Precinct stationhouse in Ridgewood.

• 29—providing traffic improvements and rehabilitation along Fresh Pond Road between Metropolitan and Myrtle avenues in Ridgewood.

• 30—rehabilitation of the Evergreen Park playground in Glendale.