Mayor’s Messages Old

Dear Neighbors, I am writing today to clarify misinformation which is circulating on social media. The Village Board made a decision several weeks ago to allow a limited number of pool season applications (up to 40 families) from the New Hyde Park area, specifically those residing in the area served by the Clinton G. Martin Pool, which is closed for renovations. This decision was made following an inquiry from that pool and then a formal request from the Town of North Hempstead if we would consider opening our pool as an option, among others, for some of those living in the district served by that pool. This request was made several months prior as the Town of North Hempstead made plans for the closure of the Clinton G. Martin Pool. At that time, the Village reviewed the option in light of pool operations, membership numbers, budgetary needs and various other factors. Specifically, we looked at whether or not adding any of these families would cause an undue burden on operations, finances, people’s enjoyment, etc. We also looked at membership numbers for the two years in which the pool has been open since renovations and found that there was a decrease ...

Recently, Governor Andrew Cuomo, while speaking here on Long Island, dismissed the concerns of our residents and business owners and those of our neighbors in New Hyde Park and Garden City regarding his proposed Third Track Project as N.I.M B.Y.(Not In My Back Yard) saying: “The politicians who pander to NIMBY, their day is over. Because if you want to pander to a vocal minority, you better hope there’s no vocalization from the majority, otherwise you’re going to have a problem.” I would like to believe that the Governor meant simply that he wasn’t going to let people who oppose a proposal for no reason other than N.I.M.B.Y. to stop progress. If that is the case, he would be correct. However, if his statement reflects that he feels our community and our neighbors are just being obstructionists, he would be very mistaken. Floral Park and our neighbors aren’t questioning the Third Track project, or any project for that matter, for the sole reason of N.I.M.B.Y. In fact, we have not opposed the project. What we have done is a systematic review of the information available in the proposed Third Track Project. We have formulated questions and issues to discuss with ...

It seems that Malverne Mel is the better prognosticator than Punxsutawney Phil. The early spring we are experiencing has allowed us to get the jump on some important new infrastructure work. We are beginning to see returns with our road program, which enters its third year. We have begun mobilization for complete road restorations on several more roads this spring. We now see the dividends hoped to be earned with this program. Now our road crews can return and concentrate their efforts on the long term road repair begun several years ago with the purchase of specialized equipment and new repair protocol; as opposed to spending money funding road repairs to roads which provided salvage and temporary repair at best. We have completed several miles of roads over the past decade and over the past three years we have dedicated .5% of our tax levy to our road program. This year, and the following two years, completes the five-year program. I have no doubt our roads will look and perform as they should. After Irene and then Sandy, we quickly realized that our monumental trees had become not simply the beautiful village identity we enjoyed. We mistakenly assumed they would ...

THIRD TRACK UPDATE On November 28th, the MTA and the Governor’s office took its next step with respect to the Third Track Project and released its Draft Environmental Impact Statement. The DEIS is over 1,000 pages and the Appendices that accompany it are an additional 1,500 pages. The LIRR has scheduled public hearings on the DEIS and announced that the comment period will close January 31, 2017. It is important to note that this project has grown from a $1 billion-dollar project to a $2 billion project in just ten months. A link to this document and information about the hearings can be found at the Village’s website: www.fpvillage.org . A week before the DEIS was released, representatives from the Governor’s office made the rounds to representatives of the Mainline Village governments to give a verbal preview, of sorts, to the DEIS. I, along with Third Track Task Force Chairman Trustee Archie Cheng and Village Administrator Gerry Bambrick met with the Governor’s representatives. We again questioned whether the DEIS will address the critical issue of providing a justification for this $2 billion project that will disrupt the lives of the mainline communities for years. We also questioned whether the DEIS ...

At the most recent Village Board Meeting, a resident expressed concern regarding ADA access to the station platforms at the LIRR-Floral Park Station. This concern is not new. The Village’s concern has been enunciated to the LIRR by this board and each board with whom I have served. How could the LIRR continue to ignore this glaring deficiency and neglect an important population’s access to the trains? The LIRR identifies handicapped access on the Hempstead Branch to be at the Stewart Manor station where there is a ramp. This has been and continues to be an inadequate response. This same resident also stated that an unidentified representative of the Governor’s office stated that the Village has not raised the concerns about handicap access at the Floral Park Train Station since the LIRR resurrected the 3rd Track Project this past January. If this is in fact what the Governor’s representative stated, this is clearly factually inaccurate. In early January, Governor Cuomo asked that we meet with his representatives and keep an open mind. Out of respect for the Governor and his office, we undertook these meetings in good faith. We made it clear that although we would approach this with an ...

WHY and HOW Why? And How? Two very simple questions the answers to which should precede any major undertaking. This is especially true when the proposed undertaking is a mega-project project that will cost billions and disrupt the lives of several communities for years to come. However, since the MTA/LIRR’s surprise announcement of their plans to resurrect the Third Track Project this past January, they have been unable to answer these two very simple questions. With respect to the WHY, in a letter dated February 3, 2016, the Mayors of the Mainline Villages asked why was this project necessary in light of LIRR President Nowakowski’s already announced 7 point proposal to improve operational efficiencies along the Mainline including grade crossing eliminations In the six months that have followed, despite repeated requests, the MTA/LIRR has been unable to answer this question If the MTA/LIRR cannot explain why they need to undertake this project, then they should not ask the residents along the Mainline to accept the inevitable disruption to their lives that this project will entail. With respect to HOW, we have been asking the MTA/LIRR for months for basic details about this project. Despite numerous meetings, the MTA/LIRR has not ...

Recently, LIRR President Pat Nowakowski issued a press release in which we were assured that the MTA-LIRR is listening and listening carefully. President Nowakowski states that they are taking all our concerns and incorporating them into their next step, which is the release of the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS). He claims unprecedented community outreach has been achieved and that the DEIS will answer in “painstaking detail” each and every one of the many questions and concerns enunciated at the scoping sessions. Well, if the LIRR was truly listening, then they would have heard Floral Park, the other Mainline Villages, Congresswoman Kathleen Rice, Senators Martins and Hannon, Assembly members Ra and Solages, our County Legislators Nicolello and Muscarella, our Town council members and each of our Democrat and Republican candidates for the 7th Senate District say: This process is moving too fast and the LIRR has not given the impacted communities enough information or time to meaningfully evaluate or ask substantive questions about this mega project. If the LIRR did in fact hear us, then they are ignoring us because President Nowakowski’s press release makes clear that the LIRR is moving ahead to the next phase of this process at ...

Floral Park is the wrong place for bad guys. That fact was again illustrated by the Floral Park Police Department whose rapid, professional response led to the capture of one of the more notorious criminals on Long Island. Within minutes after a Floral Park resident called in a criminal trespass, FPPD had the felon contained and a perimeter established. FPPD called in additional agencies as well as additional FPPD members. The hunt was on. The coordination among the various agencies was spectacular. It was now just a matter of time before the cat caught the mouse. And we did! I have often said that security and safety is a feeling we enjoy in Floral Park and not simply something we quantify. We must find that fiscal balance of course, but today we all breathe easier knowing another bad guy came to Floral Park and found out just how effective our Police Department is. To all the members of our outstanding Police Department – Congratulations on a job well done!! On behalf of a grateful Village, may I extend our deepest gratitude for your dedicated efforts and service to this Village and her residents each day. While not nearly as exciting, ...

Last Wednesday night’s announcement gave rise to a new day and warm smiles. It was true; the planned VLT Casino at Belmont Park was not to be. Late negotiating by Jack Martins ended that possibility as OTB packs its bags and heads to Aqueduct. Negotiating continues between Nassau County, and OTB over revenue and process. Much has yet to be revealed about the terms of the settlement, but clearly what this Village and its residents have proposed from the beginning proved true: a VLT Slot Machine Casino should not be located at Belmont Park or anywhere in Nassau County. We expressed that in 2013 when we voted NO to the Casino Amendment. Today, that vote and our voice resonate throughout Nassau County. Congratulations! My deepest gratitude to all the residents of this great Village for staying the course and staying informed. Try as they might, our voice and reasoned argument could not be dismissed. The efforts of so many cannot be ignored, and I would like to recognize some: first to my colleague, Deputy Mayor Kevin Fitzgerald. Kevin is a true leader and served as Chairman of the Belmont Task Force. He led a committee of some of the most ...