Matt Slater Responds to Critics of His Lake Mohegan Cleanup Plan

To the Editor,

I recently put forth a plan to help restore the health of Lake Mohegan. New York State’s Department of Environmental Conservation identifies it as the state’s most impaired waterway. Since 2012 the blue green algae issue has intensified to the point of closing the beaches during the summer months.

Sadly, but not unsurprisingly, there was a misinformed rush to attack the plan I put forth. From a process standpoint, according to documentation that can be found on the Department of State’s website, the Town of Yorktown could have initiated the process of developing an LWRP, and submitted it as part of its Consolidated Funding Application (CFA), when the legislation was passed by the State Senate and State Assembly in June of 2018. The Department of State goes on to say, should the application have been approved, only after the Governor signed the legislation (in September), would the town have received the allocated money.

From a funding standpoint, the grants associated with the CFA process are not the only dollars available through the development of an LWRP. The development and implementation of an LWRP qualifies for federal funding from the Federal Coastal Zone Management Act Fund as well as planning grants through the Hudson River Greenway Communities Council. Look no further than the Village of Ardsley. Sadly, these are just more missed opportunities by this administration to address a serious issue.

To be clear, a Local Waterfront Revitalization Plan would not replace the good work of the Mohegan Lake Improvement District, but provide added resources to restore the health of Lake Mohegan, and depending on the approved plan, would act as a sword or a shield for the future development of the Mohegan Lake hamlet.

As Supervisor, I will be fully engaged in building the necessary coalitions, and be willing to cross the political aisle, to make an LWRP a reality not just for Lake Mohegan but Lake Osceola and Sparkle Lake as well. These are incredible resources for our community that we should be paying greater attention to.

Matt Slater
Candidate for Yorktown Supervisor