I am sure that any of you who have driven down Fulton Street (Route 109) lately have experienced some delays due to the road construction. The New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) road contractors have been working on repaving the roadway and replacing the medians. The end of the construction is in sight and I know the final result will have made the minor inconveniences worthwhile.

The portion of Route 109 from Hempstead Turnpike east to the Suffolk County border, while in the Incorporated Village of Farmingdale, is a New York State road and its maintenance falls upon the NYSDOT. The original plans had called for the grass medians to be replaced with the current "fake brick" concrete that many sections of Hempstead Turnpike currently have. Many village residents have contacted us voicing their concern and displeasure of the aesthetics of concrete medians. In response to this, I am pleased to announce that due to the efforts of Fred Zamparelle, our Department of Public Works superintendent, New York State Senator Kemp Hannon and our Village Board, larger medians will now include planting beds.

After meeting with Mr. Zamparelle, NYSDOT officials responded to the concerns advanced by the village and agreed to put the planting boxes in the sections where they will not interfere with sight visibility, turning lanes or future roadway plans. The new planting boxes will be landscaped similar to the areas on Hempstead Turnpike (by Sarant Cadillac). This is all being done at no cost to the village. The NYSDOT will continue to be responsible for their maintenance.

Mr. Zamparelle also arranged for the contractor to resurface Staples Street, south of 109, at a substantial cost savings to the village. The contractor agreed to expand the scope of its work to repave this road area resulting in an estimated cost savings of 50 percent. This road, not improved under the Village Road Improvement Bond, was one of the streets identified by Mr. Zamparelle as needing to be done when funds were made available.

It's this type of creative thinking and initiative by your village government that assures that our village is a better place to live, work and play.