Huntington Town Board OKs $380K For Planned Tuozzolo Spray Park

Town of Huntington officials approved a resolution to fund the Sgt. Paul Tuozzolo Memorial Spray Park, which is depicted in the above rendering.

By Janee Law
jlaw@longislandergroup.com

Town of Huntington officials have approved up to $380,000 in funding toward the planned Sgt. Paul Tuozzolo Memorial Spray Park.

The 2,500-square-foot park, which is planned for Elwood Park on Cuba Hill Road, will honor the memory of Tuozzolo, a 19-year NYPD veteran who was killed in the line of duty Nov. 4, 2016. Tuozzolo is survived by his wife Lisa and two sons, Austin and Joseph.

Cost will be split three ways: $200,000 from the town Environmental Open Space and Park Fund Review Advisory Committee Park Improvement Fund; $128,000 from the Neighborhood Parks Fund; and $52,000 from the Seasons’ park improvement payment funds.

The park will feature a 1,600-square-foot active play area, shade structure, six park benches, a 4-foot vinyl-coated chain-link fence and a memorial trellis bearing the park’s name.

Canada-based Waterplay Solutions Corp. will build the park, and plans to begin construction in March 2018. It’s hoped the park will open that summer.

Huntington Councilwoman Tracey Edwards, who co-sponsored the resolution with Councilwoman Susan Berland, called it an honor to sponsor the initiative and work with the Tuozzolo family.

.“As residents of this great Elwood community, his children will be able to come to a place of joy and fun activity for years to come,” Edwards said after the town board approved the funding unanimously at its meeting on Thursday, Nov. 9

Huntington Supervisor Frank Petrone, who seconded the resolution, said appropriating the funding “will ensure that the project proceeds on schedule toward a grand opening next summer and moves the town one step closer toward fulfilling our commitment to the family and to Sgt. Tuozzolo’s memory.”

He added, “Shortly after Sgt. Tuozzolo died, Councilwoman Edwards and I promised his family that the town would create a fitting memorial. In discussions over the form of that memorial, the concept of a spray park near where he lived came up, and everyone was excited about it becoming a reality.”