
Dear neighbors,
I hope you’re enjoying the beautiful spring weather. May is shaping up to be a busy month for the Village, and I’m writing to share four important updates on our work.
First, I’m pleased to share that we’re making steady progress on the Village’s Flood Mitigation Project. As you know, we are currently in the engineering phase, and a key component of this phase is conducting subsurface geotechnical studies in the areas where pipes will be expanded and new equipment will be located. On April 8th, the Village Board engaged Soil Testing, Inc. to conduct subsurface testing in the Village’s roadways for both the Highbrook and North Pelham watersheds (we’ve already concluded assessments of the land beneath Julianne’s Playground). We do not expect this work to severely disrupt traffic, but you can expect to see engineering crews doing work in streets throughout the Village over the next several weeks.
Behind the scenes, our engineers are surveying, researching existing conditions, and developing construction plans and specifications. The engineers anticipate that their designs will reach the 30% completion milestone by September, which is excellent news and will keep us on schedule to break ground in late 2026.
Alongside the engineering work, we are busy pursuing grant support to offset the project’s costs. Guided by our grant writing consultants, Millennium Strategies, we’ve now submitted ten grant applications—each ranging from $6 million to $20 million in requested funding support. We expect to begin hearing back from the various agencies later this Fall. Here is a brief snapshot of the grant programs we’ve applied for at this point:
- FEMA Flood Mitigation Assistance (FMA) Program (FY24)
- FEMA Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) Grant Program (FY24)
- US Congress Community Project Funding (FY26)
- NYS Department of Environmental Conservation Resilient Watersheds Grant Program (FY25)
- NYS Department of State Coastal Rehabilitation and Resilience Projects Grant Program (FY25)
Most of these grant programs can be paired with funding awarded by other agencies, including the funds previously committed by Westchester County. The waiting period for grant awards can be extensive, and we’ve submitted these applications early enough to overlap with the engineering phase and give us time to resubmit if we fail to secure grants initially. I will be sure to keep you posted as more information becomes available.
Second, you may have noticed the significant work being done along Lincoln Avenue recently. Over the last few months, crews contracted by Westchester County have been replacing curbs and ADA ramps throughout the corridor. In the midst of their work, the Village’s Department of Public Works was called in to address a sinkhole that had been forming beneath the intersection at Fourth Avenue and Lincoln Avenue. Fortunately, we’re now approaching the final chapter of work in this area, which will include repaving the entire avenue from New Rochelle to Mount Vernon. The repaving is scheduled to begin the week of May 12th, and the County has agreed to schedule the repaving in the evening hours and overnight (tentatively from 7:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m.) to avoid significant traffic disruptions during the day. The repaving is expected to be completed in just two nights. The project is weather-contingent and there will be more information to follow once the dates have been finalized, so please be on the lookout for future advisories. Residents will want to avoid this area during the hours of construction. We appreciate your patience and cooperation as this important work wraps up.
Third, please be advised that Woodland Park Playground will be closed to the public for approximately two weeks, beginning Monday, May 5th. The Junior League of Pelham has planned an exciting project to upgrade and modernize the playground to enhance accessibility, safety and sustainability. This first round of work will focus on refurbishing and replacing some of the existing play structures like the spider web and tree house, and adding new features like a musical instrument station and rock climbing wall. Phased work will continue through next fall, with future phases including eco-friendly features, native plantings, shaded seating areas and other new equipment. My sincerest thanks to the Junior League volunteers who have worked so hard to reach this important milestone.
And finally, I’m pleased to share that we have an official date for the Grand Opening celebration of our new Municipal Center. Please mark your calendars for Sunday, June 1st – which is an important date for other reasons as well. It marks the Village’s 50th Anniversary! On June 1, 1975, the former Village of Pelham (Pelham Heights) merged with the Village of North Pelham to form the community we know and love today. Our celebration will begin at 1:00 p.m., and will include a ribbon-cutting ceremony, remarks by project leads and elected representatives, and an official flag raising ceremony organized by Joe Durnin and Pelham Post 50. Afterwards, we’ll provide public tours of our new municipal home.
I hope you’ll join us as we gather together to celebrate both our history and our future.
Until next time,
Chance
Pelham Examiner update: Since Mullen’s letter listed FEMA and congressional grants, we asked the mayor how those applications will be affected by the cuts to FEMA and other areas being implemented by President Donald Trump’s administration. Here is Mullen’s emailed response:
“There’s no question that the recent actions taken by the Trump administration have injected significant uncertainty into the federal grants landscape, including programs related to flood mitigation. While it’s too early to know exactly how these changes will impact our applications, our grants team is closely monitoring developments, identifying the best available opportunities, and we’ll continue to submit under existing guidelines.”
“Fortunately, we have strong relationships with our representatives at both the federal and state levels, and we’ll continue to advocate for the funding our community needs. We’re confident they recognize the value of investing in the health and safety of our residents. Flood mitigation remains a top priority for the village.”