STATEN ISLAND — The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) approved the funding to restore Wolfes Pond Park, Prince's Bay, after it was damaged by Hurricane Irene last year.
FEMA approved the $471,046 to start work on the berm restoration project, Congressman Michael Grimm announced Tuesday.
“Before the devastation wrought by Hurricane Irene, Wolfe’s Pond Park stood out among our borough for its beauty,” Grimm said in a statement. "The storm that occurred almost a year ago left it not only ruined for use but also a foul-smelling blight in the community.”
The berm, a gap that separates the salt water from the fresh water pond, was damaged by heavy rainfall from Hurricane Irene last year. A section of the beach near the berm has been closed since then.
Grimm asked FEMA for the money in July, saying that the project was ready to get started but just needed funding.
"I am informed that the project was designed and had received the necessary permits, but that necessary funding has yet to be provided," Grimm wrote to FEMA. "Almost 10 months have passed since the pond’s unwelcomed transformation, and my constituents are left wondering what is taking so long."
The federal money will be transferred to the New York State, who will disperse it to the city's Parks Department.
