Heithaus Walkway to get makeover

Written by Paige Rentz

Thursday, 29 July 2010 16:05

A project that underwent the seeds of development in the early part of the decade will finally begin to see fruition. The pedestrian Heithaus Walkway, a vital artery that connects commercial Mamaroneck Avenue storefronts to much-needed rear parking on Phillips Park Road, is set to get a bit of a facelift.
The walkway is more than 30 years old and suffers from several aesthetic and structural problems, including water leaks, worn pavement and a general dankness that often pervades the space. The area, heavily utilized as a close access to retail locations, does not meet the standards for the Americans with Disabilities Act for such structures.

The project spearheaded by the Heithaus Walkway Beautification Committee began with the implementation of the Mamaroneck Avenue Streetscape. It was initially to have two phases, but the walkway improvements, included in the second phase of the project, never happened as funding for the streetscape dried up.

According to Village Manager Richard Slingerland, the village currently has $160,000 budgeted for the project. When former Mayor Phil Trifiletti (R) officially appointed the committee – chaired by Sunny Goldberg – in 2004 to try to make these improvements happen, the committee worked with the village to apply for grants. The committee secured $35,000 from Congresswoman Nita Lowey (D) to fund project planning and construction drawings. Finally, the project has made it to the top of the list for a $50,000 Community Development Block Grant, which will be issued next summer and requires a $75,000 match from the village.

The grant money needs to be spent next year or it will be lost, so the village expects that the project will likely be put out to bid next summer. With the committee’s ideal plans costing about $700,000, the budgeted funds will only be a drop in the bucket, so in order to get the project underway, the committee has divided the walkway improvements into two phases.

Phase I will include removal of the existing canopy and renovation of the ramp to make it accessible to persons with physical disabilities. This includes regrading and reconstruction of the existing ramp with an even slope and intermediate landings to meet ADA requirements, installation of guardrails and handrails that meet ADA requirements, and resurfacing the ramp with more easily cleanable, slip-resistant paving. In addition, the committee intends to reconstruct the retaining wall along the side of the lower walkway, and install the foundations for future canopy and a storm drainage system for the walkway and future canopy to prevent ice build-up at base of the ramp during winter.

Amenities for shoppers will include installing at the top of the ramp a shopper’s kiosk with directory, map and information about the central business district. Additionally, a new community notice board would provide a showcase for environmental and community service organizations in the village. All the work for this phase is expected to cost about $300,000.

At $400,000, improvements in Phase II may be much farther down the road, but the committee would ultimately like to see the construction of a new canopy that will be configured in a manner to provide more open views from Mamaroneck Avenue to the Mamaroneck River beyond Phillips Park Road. In addition, new nautical-style light fixtures would be employed to heighten pedestrians’ awareness of Mamaroneck’s unique environment and location along Long Island Sound.

Gregg DeAngelis, a village architect who has done a great deal of volunteer work on the preliminary walkway plans, estimates that the project can be ready to bid in about two months. Once the project begins, the grant money can be used. Goldberg seems confident the additional $150,000 can be raised through private donations and fundraisers like selling personalized paving stones.

Goldberg, who became involved with the Heithaus Walkway committee after working on the streetscape project and as an original member of the Mamaroneck Avenue Task Force, said that the improvements to the walkway are just one part of the larger movement to make Mamaroneck a beautiful destination for visiting shoppers and residents alike.

Her vision includes the walkway as a gateway to a river walk along Phillips Park Road, with seating and perhaps even some form of vendor selling coffees and cappuccinos there.

Already in the works is a plan to beautify the MTA bridge, said Goldberg. Along with Laura Heiss, she obtained approval from the transit authority to add decorative iron work like that at the Harlem-125th St. station. With the help of donations from Ironworks in Mount Vernon and Village Paint Supply, a sign reading “Mamaroneck” and decorated with wetland scenes will likely go up with little to no cost to the village.

“Mamaroneck is a very vibrant community that is this wonderful carpet of mixed cultures,” said Goldberg, who stressed the importance of beautifying Mamaroneck while maintaining the tradition of an old village with great history. “We’re trying to keep some of the old and welcome the new.”

Goldberg and DeAngelis are scheduled to present the plans to the Board of Trustees on Aug. 16.

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