Sleepy Hollow Village Administrator, Anthony Giaccio, is keenly aware of issues and events. Several years ago, Sleepy Hollow secured approximately $250,000 in grants to fund the renovation of the lighthouse, an historic property.
To understand the complexity of the project, Anthony explained, “The estimated cost to renovate the lighthouse was about $850,000. Since Westchester County owns the lighthouse, they are responsible for the $600,000 match. The County authorized this expenditure. Unfortunately, bids came in at $1.2 million and the County has not yet agreed to fund this additional expense. The process has taken so long, that one of the grants for $98,000 expired. The project is now on hold. The Village secured funds to restore the light for the lighthouse through grants and donations. Total cost to re-light the lighthouse is $40,000. It will be lit and fully operational in the spring.”
Mr. Giaccio provided a detailed list of other grants completed or in progress that the Village is participating in:
- NY State Department of Environmental Conservation grant, to purchase a Fresnel lens for the lighthouse at Kingsland Point Park, to be installed in the spring at a cost of $10,000.
- $26,000 awarded through the NY Department of State, for a draft study, which is completed, on water consolidation services with Tarrytown and Briarcliff Manor.
- A NY Archives Local Government Records Management Information Fund Grant awarded to create a new employee file system in the amount of $7,301 is also completed.
- The New York Department of State Local Waterfront Revitalization Program awarded $37,000 to study the rehabilitation of the former industrial pier at the Castle Oil waterfront site for public recreational use.
- The Board will be awarding the bid project for a NYS Department of Transportation grant that involves the replacement of sidewalks on Route 9 and includes new trees, receptacles and lighting. The project will start in April 2015.
- For the NYS Department of Transportation Safe Routes traffic light on Beekman Avenue the Village is signing a grant contract for preliminary engineering.
- The New York State Office of Emergency Management Hazard Mitigation Plan was completed. The funding was $37,500.
- $150,000 from NYS Office of Parks Recreation and Historic preservation funding for the Lighthouse is pending County approval.
- A $157,000 funding award for the design and construction of a comfort station at Reverend John Sykes Park is going out to bid.
- A tree inventory project funded by New York’s Department of State for $16,000 is underway.
Regarding the General Motors Redevelopment site, Anthony remarked, “Lighthouse Landing Venture LLC is under contract to purchase the property. Sub-division approval was received at the October Planning Board meeting and had to occur before the sale could take place because about 30 acres will be deeded over to the Village. The tax exempt property is expected to close by the end of the year, putting it back on the tax rolls.”
Mayor Wray has been negotiating with Mt. Pleasant and the Rockefeller Brothers Fund (RBF) to build a water tank on RBF property. The redevelopment of GM cannot happen until this tank is built. The Village expects a deal to be reached by the end of the year and construction early next year.
Anthony noted, “We currently share certain water services. The Warner Library is another example of shared services. Sleepy Hollow is a member of a Village Officials Committee made up of Greenburgh villages. Monthly meetings are held to discuss shared services. Currently, the cost for a pothole killer and a joint bid for LED street lights are being considered. Inter-municipal agreements with the County include law enforcement information sharing, Kingsland Point Park operation and County Clerk services.
Administrator Giaccio mentioned several projects that the Village can look forward to in 2015. “Completion of the water tank project; Route 9 Streetscape Project; Sykes Park renovations; Getting the GM development started; Completion of River’s Edge; Continued marketing of the Village for Halloween and beyond; Installing the new light for the lighthouse; Re-zoning of the downtown to encourage redevelopment.”
