Island Park residents concerned about flooding, eyesores

Island Park Village residents raised several quality-of-life concerns at last week’s board meeting about flooding, panhandlers, litter and eyesores.

One resident questioned the board at Thursday’s meeting about the status of the village’s $475,000-plus plan to relieve flooding.

“There have been no infrastructure improvements or drainage,” said Gary Levine, who lives on Washington Place. “It is frustrating."

In response, Mayor James R. Ruzicka said the village would work on the drainage issues along streets such as Washington Place that surround the Little Beach, when work with the Army Corps of Engineers to replenish the eroded beach with sand begins. Due to ongoing litigation, the project is on hold, he said.

Last September, the board tapped the engineering firm Walden Associates to identify structural and drainage problems, and clean out clogged drains and pipes in an effort to alleviate the area’s flooding problems. The village allocated $476,500 for the stormwater quality improvement project.

“The work is in progress,” Ruzicka said after the meeting. “We have cleaned a lot of drains. We haven’t experienced any problems with rain this summer.”

Glen Ingoglia, president of the Island Park Chamber of Commerce, and one other resident at the meeting brought up concerns about panhandlers and litter on the Long Beach Road business corridor. Ingoglia complained about gum on the road’s sidewalks.

“It is really bad for business,” he said. “We are willing to offer some [financial] support to the village.”

Ruzicka said village officials had looked into gum cleaning equipment but it was too costly.

The board passed a law allowing parking only on the north side of Waterford Road, north of Redfield Road. Residents had filed a petition to change the parking rules in the area, after complaining that their cars were being blocked in.

The board also approved a resolution to clean the yards of two houses -- at 38 Waterford Rd. and 57 Radcliffe Rd. -- which are considered eyesores.