The Farmingdale Village Board flew through multiple items on the June 21 agenda, pausing briefly to take stock in the residents' approval and understanding of each one.

First, Thomas Powell Boulevard and Prospect Place were granted permits to host block parties Aug. 6 and July 4, respectively. Department of Public Works Superintendent Fred Zamparelle was given permission to attend a government vehicle auction July 17 with an allowance of $15,000 to spend on two cars. He will also be attending an alternative fuel use vehicle seminar along with the Town of Oyster Bay and Nassau County.

"These are things a lot of municipalities are starting to look into with the high cost of fuel," Zamparelle explained.

The local engineering firm H2M recently completed preparing an annual water report and will make a presentation of their findings at the July 5 village trustees meeting.

The board then approved a motion to standardize the cost of construction rates by using Dodge Fee schedules. The Dodge Fee represents an industry standard for the estimated cost of construction. Applicants would pay the same amount for a building permit fee. Using it, Buildings Superintendent Ron Craig said, "it is reasonable to assume you'll have a conservative estimate."

"The village was charging $30 per square foot," Village Attorney Greg Carman said. "That's an unrealistic expectation."

According to Craig, The town of Oyster Bay, Town of North Hempstead and the Town of Hempstead all charge $100 per square foot.

"The fee is consistent with the actual cost of construction," Craig added. "We're going to take the numbers from three years ago in the Dodge Fee and we're going to base the estimated cost of construction on that."

Each year the board can vote on whether or not to update the numbers.

"I think we should do an annual review," Village Trustee Dr. Benjamin Giminaro suggested.

Next, the board gave attendees an update on the June 9 village parking meeting with Main Street vendors.

According to Village Deputy Mayor Joe Rachiele, numerous people attended to discuss the parking situation in municipal lots.

"Many people thought we should up the time to four hours," Rachiele continued. "Right now code enforcement is rewriting the village code to reflect the decision of the June 9 meeting."

Those changes are scheduled to appear on the July 5 agenda for approval.

Zamparelle then explained to residents why he was requesting approval to put out a bid for a skidster loader (Bobcat). This piece of equipment is similar to a Payloader but more compact.

"This would allow us to do a lot of the work ourselves," Zamparelle said.

Over the past year there have been two main breaks and the cost of repair was $35,000.

"This would be a long-term investment that would be cost effective," Zamparelle continued.

Craig then recommended that the board approve 14 of the 15 building permits applied for. The sole one to be declined was Chase Manhattan Bank, which will be located where the old Mandee's was on Main Street. Chase has a 20-year lease in the space with a five-year option. They sought to spray paint the aluminum façade instead of giving it a facelift.

Since April, 40 building permits have been applied for.

"The village is in the throws of a renaissance," Craig said.

The board then announced that the village would set a hearing on July 5 regarding 130 Secatogue Ave., a burnt down building. They will then discuss taking action for eminent domain of the property. Eminent domain, by definition, is the right of a government to seize private property for public use in exchange for payment of fair market value.

The evening then transitioned to Eric Alexander of Vision Long Island, who made a presentation on Smart Growth. Alexander began by explaining some options to revitalize some of the village's more blighted areas.

"We are here to introduce concerts of smart growth - creating a sense of place," Alexander said.

Their solutions involve community participation and working together in groups to create a mix of uses for areas.

"We get all of the ideas from a community and put them forward," Alexander explained. "We need to come into a community and engage it."

Mayor George Graf said, "the important thing is community input" and informed residents the village would be hosting a series of these meetings in the future.

The next Village Board meeting is Tuesday, July 5, at 7:30 p.m. at Village Hall. For further information call 249-0093. For more information on Vision Long Island visit www.visionlongisland.org.