State Senator Carl Marcellino came to town on Tuesday, April 25, toting a $2 million check for the City of Glen Cove's waterfront. The money, a grant administered by the NY State Department of Transportation and part of the federal Transportation Equity Act, is to be used for the building of a pedestrian walkway/esplanade along Glen Cove Creek. The pedestrian walkway is an integral part of the city's ambitious waterfront revitalization effort. In fact, when re-zoning the area in anticipation of future construction, the city included specifications that any development must include pedestrian access along the water. Mayor Thomas Suozzi said as the city embarks on constructing the walkway there are only two pieces left to the revitalization puzzle. "What's left is the cleanup of the LiTungsten site and to get a developer for the waterfront," stated the mayor. "The esplanade along the creek is a very important piece of our waterfront revitalization project. This is a perfect illustration of local government working with the state and federal levels. I am grateful to Senator Marcellino and Assemblyman David Sidikman for their help in obtaining theses grants," said Mayor Suozzi. Senator Marcellino said, "The preservation and restoration of our environment, local waterfronts and historic resources remains a top priority for me. These funds will go a long way in making our recreational areas more accessible and enjoyable to residents and visitors alike."

The pathway will be 16 feet wide, 7,150 feet long around the creek. It will link the downtown business district to the waterfront and provide unrestricted public access to recreational opportunities. It will be part of a wetlands enhancement program and provide educational and historic markers which will have information about the area's wildlife and past history.

A total of $3.5 million in Clean Water/Clean Air Bond Act, Environmental Protection Fund and Community Enhancement grants have been awarded to communities in the Fifth Senate District. Added to the $2 million for Glen Cove, State Senator Marcellino announced another $1.5 million in grant awards. The Town of Oyster Bay received $200,000 to continue work to convert the former Jakobson's Shipyard site into a public park, to be known as the Western Waterfront Park. The senator has secured an additional $1 million in this year's state budget agreement which will allow the Town of Oyster Bay to continue its work toward making the Western Waterfront a reality. The Planting Fields Foundation, Renovation of Italian Garden/Carshalton Gates project received $350,000 to renovate the Italian Garden's retaining walls, the reflecting pool, the staircase leading to the garden, the fountain rings and the landscape. The renovation of the Carshalton Gates include the masonry elements, ornamental elements and lead statues. The gate cottage will receive a new slate roof, masonry repair and gutter and leader repairs.