by Dave Zornow

Rockland County has requested $2.1 million in disaster relief from FEMA to repair damage to the Nyack Marina and Memorial Park following severe storms last month.

“We assessed the damage and got good estimates to include in the FEMA request,” says Nyack Trustee Jen White. “Our DPW Chief Vic Overton, Building Inspector Don Iacoppino and village electrician John Fiske worked closely with the Brooker Engineering and  McLaren Engineering to pull together the needed information quickly to be part of the county’s request,’€ she said.

Nyack’s funding request accounted for 78 percent of Rockland County’s FEMA application.

New York State has asked that six counties with severe damage from the March 13-15 nor’easter storm be declared disaster areas to qualify for FEMA funds. Nyack’s request included three components, requesting relief funds to:

• Restore the bulkhead in the marina
• Stabilize the bank in the ‘€œpeninsula’€ parking lot area adjacent to the creek separating the marina from Memorial Park.
• Repair the shore line of Memorial Park.

The village has requested $1.8 million to restore the marina and $225,000 to stabilize and repair the banks in the marina and Memorial Park. An additional $86,740 has been requested to cover emergency work following the storm to remove debris, disconnect the electrical service from the marina boathouse and fix lights in the parking lot.

If the request is approved, both Rockland County and the Village of Nyack will need to submit a formal application as the next step in the process.

Nyack had planned to make significant changes to Memorial Park and the marina prior to the nor’easter. Last year the Village Board approved a plan to expand the park and add more green space by building a footbridge across the basin to the north of Memorial Park and relocating the parking area to the the peninsula. Although FEMA dollars can’t be used to pay for improvements, they can be used to bring existing facilities up to code.

According to the Coast Guard, there is significant debris in the channel which makes the marina unsafe and unusable. A sunken barge near the opening of the boatyard has shifted position blocking the entrance to the marina.

Because the marina sustained significant damage, it is unlikely to see any boating this year. As currently configured, the marina operates at an annual loss of $23,000.

See also: “Hazards May Keep Nyack Marina Shut,” Journal News 4/13/10