The Feb. 12 preliminary presentation of the Franklin Avenue Streetscape Improvement Program was followed by another presentation at the Feb. 19 Board of Trustees meeting where trustees and residents were afforded an opportunity to view a slide presentation of the blue prints which appeared in the Feb. 12 issue of Garden City Life and sketches of the proposed landscaping. Bill Kuhl, the consultant hired by the Village to prepare the designs, explained the importance of strengthening areas such as the intersection of Franklin and Stewart Avenue, which Kuhl described as "the heart of the commercial district" in Garden City. Encouraging pedestrian traffic is the key to the success of Franklin Avenue, an issue which Kuhl has addressed through landscaping and lay by parking, and which the Village hopes it will be able to address with altering the timing of the traffic lights (an issue to be brought before the County).

Residents were afforded the opportunity to respond to the presentation and discuss the plans with Kuhl himself. Leslie Gercie urged the designers to be certain that all of the design elements be coordinated along the street, such as matching trash receptacles and benches. She stressed the importance of a unified look and also commented that she preferred the appearance of shorter lightposts than the suggested Spring City Bishop's Crook posts. Kuhl agreed that all of the elements would need to be coordinated and explained that the height of the new lightposts was necessary to accommodate Nassau County's current standards and the aesthetic goals of the program.

He responded to Gercie's questions about the choice of trees and shrubs by saying that he hoped to see a variety of trees to avoid a monospecies look and that they were not going to use evergreen trees because their root system is shallow and wide and would not allow the trees to thrive in the limited planting space along the Avenue. He did say that some evergreen trees could be incorporated into the back of the Stewart/Franklin Pavilion area. He also explained that the trellises proposed for the entryways to the alleys along Franklin were metal grids which allowed the vines to flourish and grow, so that the trellises were barely visible and had a "living trellis" look to them. He also assured Arnold Finnemore that the trees would not block the view of the awnings of the stores and that consumers would be able to see the stores as they looked for them while driving.

In response to Gary Bencenanga's question, "If you could wave a magic wand [to slow traffic and create a pedestrian friendly street] what would you do? What needs to be done?" Kuhl explained that the trees would absorb much of the sound of the traffic as they matured, the shrubs, raised plantings, and lay by parking would create a barrier between the pedestrians and the traffic and would create a more residential feeling which would cause the drivers to proceed slower. Once the light-timing plans were developed and approved by the County, this too would help slow the traffic. Crosswalks would also force traffic to slow down.

The financing of the project came under questioning as residents sought a hard figure of the total cost. Morton Yuter noted that with the failure of the School Board's bond issue and the growing need to fund improvements to the district's facilities, taxpayers may find the school bond and a bond to fund the Village's beautification too much to finance simultaneously. Kuhl expressed his belief in the need to arrest the declining of Franklin Ave. and to attract businesses to contribute to the tax base and stated that this beautification is an integral part of making that happen for Garden City. Yuter commended the Board for their "guts" and recognized the importance of business in the Village. When the figure $1.8 million was discussed, Yuter's happy surprise at the figure being lower than he'd expected brought some levity to the serious discussion of taxes and bonds.

Trustee Lewis stated that $170,000 was already put into the capital budget for this year and called it "80 percent of the brunt" of the project. This "frontloading" --as Trustee Lewis called it-- meant that a portion of the funding of the total project will come from the budget, while the rest of the cost will come from "10 year bonding." Administrator Schoelle emphasized that no money has been borrowed yet, and that part of the project was still under review. Mayor Tauches added that "before we start speculating on numbers" Kuhl needed to do more work on finalizing "hard numbers" for the project. Trustee Collins stated, "This Board has always, always been respectful of taxes" and said that while as the former liaison to the School Board and a parent, she was sensitive to the School Board's dilemma, the Village was trying to "respond to the outcry to do something" for Franklin Avenue. Kuhl also clarified the issue discussed at the Feb. 12 meeting and explained that the maintenance of the landscaping on property owned by landlords and not the Village was a detail that was still under review and was not yet solidified.

The stretch of road from Stewart to Sixth Street is before the board now and may be part of a second phase of the program. The Mayor described the process of developing the program as "ongoing" and still under review.

Dorothy Episcopia asked for the projected total cost of the project and commented that "we are not a bunch of axe the tax people, but we'd like a figure to work with so we can really be able to go out and sell this." Mr. Olivo explained that the figure for the three blocks presented was $1.3 million. There is $170,000 already set aside and the rest will be bonded out. The cost of the road between Stewart and Sixth Street under review currently has a working figure of $750,000 for the work and $55,000 for the design. This work, if approved by the Village, would likely be part of a second bond. A total figure of $2.105 million in bonds was discussed, however, it was stressed that hard numbers have not yet been "nailed down" and that the stretch of road south of Stewart is still in the tentative stages before the board. "Firms and specs" need to be developed and then talks of the costs can be more accurately and appropriately addressed.

Episcopia asked the Board for "an assurance" that they would "watch costs" because they "still have to fund a large infrastructure" and she doesn't want to see them "sacrifice services like the police, firefighters, etc." Mayor Tauches responded, "I don't want any Village resident to think we'd ever sacrifice any firefighter or police officer. If you need an assurance then you have it." Trustee Collins commented that while "all questions are wonderful" she would hate for there to be any "negative inferences" and wanted to "make sure there was no tainting of this project" and asked if the explanation by Mr. Olivo was satisfactory. Kuhl also added that it was not any intentional avoidance of providing figures, rather, the final numbers hadn't been completed yet, but that the schematic estimate now for the three blocks presented was a budget of $1.3 million.

Maureen Clancy, of the Chamber of Commerce commended Kuhl on his designs and stated that the Chamber and the merchants have wanted to see an investment like this made for "many a year" and called it an "investment in the future." Russell Matthews of the Albanese Development Corporation also complimented Kuhl on the designs and said that this was part of the recommendations of the Business Planning Coalition. He also suggested the Village look into attracting a movie theater, something restaurant owners told him was a complimenting element for restaurants and attracted people to the area at night. He cited areas like Rockville Centre and Great Neck that have implemented theaters in their downtown revitalizations. He recommended a sub-committee to study the issue. Russell Miller suggested seeking donations to help alleviate the cost of the beautification project.

Eileen Murphy asked the Board to provide a timeline for the progress of the project. The issue of providing information about the program to the public was also raised. The mayor stated that this was the presentation to the Board and the public and that the Feb. 12 meeting was for the POAs and did not see the need for individual presentations. He also said that while input from the public would be solicited, the ultimate decision belongs to the board. Trustee Collins requested that a one-page Village Facts be published and that one presentation for the public be offered prior to a decision by the board. A Village Facts will be prepared and residents will have an opportunity to come to board meetings and comment on the plans.

Kuhl explained that once they go out to bid the work could begin early this summer. Approval for elements of the plan has to be obtained from Nassau County and elements need to be coordinated with LILCO, Bell Atlantic and the County. The budget for 1998-99 is still under review and will not be approved until April, which makes a Village Facts prior to that date unlikely as part of the plans are part of that process.

The next Board of Trustees meeting will be Thursday, March 5 and all residents are welcome to attend.