Final Notice and Public Explanation of a Proposed
City Project in the Hudson River 100-Year Floodplain
To all Interested Agencies, Groups and Individuals:
This is to give notice that the City of Rensselaer has conducted an evaluation as required by Executive Order 11988, in accordance with HUD regulations at 24 CFR 55.20 Subpart C Procedures for Making Determinations on Floodplain Management and Protection of Wetlands, to determine the potential affect(s) that its activity in the 100-year floodplain of the Hudson River will have on the human environment for the Neighborhood Safe Parks Improvements Project funded in part with a FY 2022 NYS Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Program Award (CDBG #974PF87-22).
A portion of the Neighborhood Safe Parks Improvements Project is located in the 100-year floodplain of the Hudson River, located at Riverfront Park on the west side of Broadway and in the vicinity of the on-and-off ramps for the Dunn Memorial Bridge within the City of Rensselaer, Rensselaer County, NY. The Riverfront Park portion of the Project involves using CDBG funding to replace the existing playground in the same general location with new safe, modern, and accessible playground equipment and permeable ground surface, replace and install park benches, barbecue grill stands, and trash receptacles along existing pathways within the Park at various spaced locations, install a hydration and hands washing station (not a building) that would be connected to an existing City water main to provide sanitary hand washing and water bottle filling services for park patrons, and install WIFI connectivity equipment, generally routers and signal transmitters mounted on existing structures, to improve broadband services within the Park.
There are no park improvements or other Project activities proposed for the Hudson River shoreline, any existing floodway area, or within nearby Mill Creek and its streambed which runs through the southern part of Riverfront Park. The purpose of these improvements is to provide opportunities for safe park and recreational facility usage by City residents, replace deteriorated and unsafe equipment and park fixtures such as broken playground items and unsafe or rotted benches, and promote Riverfront Park for more passive and active fitness and recreational activities and safe gatherings by residents. The amount of land acreage to be disturbed within the floodplain in Riverfront Park (and subsequently restored with grass restoration and landscaping) within the floodplain is less than one-quarter of an acre.
The City of Rensselaer has considered the following alternatives and mitigation measures to be taken to minimize adverse impacts and to restore and preserve natural and beneficial values: (i) Although, the City does not believe the Project components described in this Notice will have any adverse impacts or effects on human lives with respect to City residents, DPW employees, and all other Riverfront Park users, the City will maintain flood insurance to mitigate possible flood damage to existing and new Riverfront Park facilities. The new playground equipment and other park amenities are intended to increase Park usage and create a safe environment for passive and active recreation without impeding or exacerbating any potential future flooding impacts; and (ii) Construction designs will consider permeable surfaces underneath the playground equipment to be replaced and the picnic tables and benches planned for Riverfront Park to facilitate drainage and prevent additional runoff during heavy storm events. The City will not be modifying, extending, or constructing new or existing paved parking areas as part of this Project, and any landscaping improvements will consider native plantings that help retain existing soil and enhance on-site drainage; and (iii) The City has considered alternatives to the Project, including land acquisition and park development at a location outside the 100-year floodplain, and a “do nothing” alternative of not conducting the Project at Riverfront Park. These alternatives were not selected by the City on the grounds of being infeasible in terms of available land and site control of that land outside the floodplain, cost-prohibitive to taxpayers, and not practical in accordance with the City’s current population and land density close to Riverfront Park and most in need of public open space recreational and fitness facilities.
The City of Rensselaer has reevaluated the alternatives to conducting Project activities in the Hudson River floodplain and has determined that it has no practicable alternative to the Project components as currently proposed. Environmental files that document compliance with Steps 3 through 6 of Executive Order 11988 are available for public inspection, review, and copying upon request to the City of Rensselaer, as delineated in the last paragraph of this notice for receipt of comments. This Project will have no significant impact on the environment for the following reasons: The Project does not involve land acquisition, a change in existing land use classifications, or new construction of buildings on existing municipal parkland. New accessible play structures, benches, grill stands, and other park amenities will be placed on permeable surfaces to replace antiquated and broken equipment that will be removed from Riverfront Park. The Project will improve utilization of existing park and recreational facilities to provide safe gathering places for residents and an accessible environment for active and passive recreational use and fitness by all City residents and visitors.
There are three primary purposes for this final notice. First, people who may be affected by activities in floodplains and those who have an interest in the protection of the natural environment should be given an opportunity to express their concerns and provide information about these areas. Second, an adequate public notice program can be an important public educational tool. The dissemination of information and request for public comment about floodplains can facilitate and enhance Federal efforts to reduce the risks and impacts associated with the occupancy and modification of these special areas. Third, as a matter of fairness, when the Federal government determines it will participate in actions taking place in floodplains, it must inform those who may be put at greater or continued risk.
Written comments must be received by the City of Rensselaer at the following address postmarked on or dated by (if by Email) 4:00 PM on Monday, November 21st, 2022: City of Rensselaer, Attention: Mayor and Certifying Officer, City Hall, 62 Washington Street, Rensselaer, NY 12144, or by phone at (518) 462-9511 (please leave a detailed message). Comments may also be submitted via Email and addressed to the Mayor and Certifying Officer at [email protected] by the same date specified above. A map and description of the Project may be reviewed at the Planning and Development Department on the second floor of City Hall at 62 Washington Street.
Dated: Thursday, November 10, 2022