Bedford, Lewisboro each slated for $100K state grants

The towns of Bedford and Lewisboro have been awarded $100,000 in state grants for improvement and infrastructure projects. The grants are part of a package of $2.3 million in funding for local municipalities secured by state Sen. Pete Harckham.

Each municipality in the 40th Senate District will receive $100,000 in grants through the State Community Resiliency, Economic Sustainability, and Technology Program funding. This unrestricted funding can be used at the discretion of local officials.

Harckham announced the grants July 26 at a press conference held at Chilmark Village Park in Briarcliff Manor, where he was joined by more than a dozen local elected leaders who shared their plans for the funding.

“The quality of life for our local residents is most impacted by their immediate town and village governments, and knowing the challenges they are facing, it’s important to be able to offer them the financial resources that will help them deal with issues like public safety, aging infrastructure and climate resiliency,” said Harckham.

“Local leaders know what their communities need,” he continued, adding that the grant funds will help finance community projects without adding to local tax burdens.

Bedford Town Supervisor Ellen Calves said in a statement, “We are thrilled that Sen.mHarckham has been able to offer this generous grant to the town of Bedford, which will enable us to invest further in parks infrastructure for the benefit of our residents.”

Lewisboro Town Supervisor Tony Gonçalves told The Recorder that several projects will be considered by the town board. “We haven’t decided yet,” he said. “I’ve asked the board as well as others for some ideas but have not made a final decision.” 

One idea is to put the funds towards insulating the Onatru Farm House, where the town’s Parks and Recreation Department is currently located, in preparation for future installation of a geothermal system to eliminate the building’s oil-fired boiler, the supervisor said. Another possibility is to renovate the Barn Building at Onatru and convert it into a multi-use facility. He said that building is slated for installation of photovoltaic solar panels, also supported by a CREST grant secured last year by Harckham, which will offset electricity consumption at Onatru Farm Park. Gonçalves called the state senator “a strong champion” of Lewisboro. Harckham is a local

resident of the town.

Harckham has secured more than $29 million in capital grants for the towns, cities and villages in the 40th Senate District through CREST, State Aid to Municipalities and other grant programs since taking office in 2019. The total includes $15.1 million for local governments and over $8 million for police and fire departments, EMTs, ambulance corps and public safety professionals, his office said.