Because Senior Partner for VMI Traffic Mr. Ivarrone testified before the Town of Hempstead's Zoning Board of Appeals that peak traffic at the mall takes place generally on Saturdays from 2:15 p.m. until 3:15 p.m., and, in response to questions from Trustee Bruce Torino, who led questioning on behalf of the Village of Garden City, insisted that the increases of traffic will be "imperceptible," Garden City Life went to the mall at 5 p.m. on Saturday to examine the traffic situation. At this off-peak time there was not a spot available on the east side of the mall, and there was limited mobility at best around the now fenced area where work is being conducted at the proposed site of the new Saks store. The line of cars heading to the Stewart Avenue exit was backed up around the outer roadway around the parking lots. The south parking garage was filled to capacity on every level except the uppermost level, which was mostly filled. The sounds of horns blaring throughout the mall's lots and roadways were quite audible from the top level of the parking garage and often echoed throughout the other levels.

Within the short time that Garden City Life was on the scene, there were three separate incidents of angry confrontations stemming from too many vehicles all "vulturing" the same spots (the act of sitting and waiting for departing shoppers to vacate their spots and then getting in the spot before anyone else can). Traffic moving along the mall around the south end to the east side was backed up several times as cars found that there was simply no space to move. Cars could be seen following pedestrians through the parking lot, inching along behind them, in an attempt to get their soon to be empty spot.

While Ivarrone argued that the number of shoppers would not really be increasing much, as many of the Saks shoppers will be people already there, the Village argued that any increase in shoppers, and thus traffic, will have a severe impact on the traffic in the area. Ivarrone held that he believes the traffic increase will be less than 1 percent in off-peak and 2 percent in peak times, making it imperceptible. He stated that the traffic increases he predicted back in 1995 turned out to be less in reality. There is currently 9 percent less traffic than he projected in 1995, according to Ivarrone. While witnesses for Retail Property Trust, owners of the mall, all argued that the increases would be "insignificant," many shoppers informally polled at the mall described the current situation as "horrible" and "a nightmare" and said that any increase at all was "unimaginable."

Village Trustee Bruce Torino asked both Ivarrone and Dr. Koppelman, a planning expert who testified for the mall as well, about the future of the Hub area and if they had taken into consideration the new development proposed and under way when they prepared their reports and made their recommendation to allow the mall to expand. Both witnesses explained that factors like the construction of a 129-room hotel on Stewart Avenue, a short distance away from the Stewart Avenue exit to the mall, are not standard components of their examinations. Torino pointed out that such structures, like the hotel, which is being funded by the Town of Hempstead, and is under the supervision of the Albanese Development Corporation, acting as construction manager, and architect Bill Kuhl, who is also the Village of Garden City's Streetscape architect, will generate tremendous amounts of traffic as guests and staff travel to and from the hotel. Traveling the same route as employees who will likely be working in the industrial buildings, which are scheduled to become office space, and the hotel traffic, the shoppers on their way to the mall will not be imperceptible, according to the Village's counsel and its own traffic consultant.

Other plans for the Hub, including a new Coliseum and retail, office, and residential space, mentioned in the Nassau County Master Plan, and the Hub Study, also have raised concerns among residents of Garden City, but were dismissed by witnesses for the mall as irrelevant to the variance issue before the Town's Zoning Board of Appeals.

During the latter half of the February hearing, the Village of Garden City was able to present witnesses to testify that in fact any increase would be significant, particularly in light of the loss of parking to create the new store, even if a new level of parking is added to the Bloomingdale's garage, and the F rating of the Stewart and Clinton Avenues intersection. While they acknowledged that the traffic consultants for the mall propose to implement new lighting strategies to improve the intersection, they argue that the help will be minimal if at all, and will only promote the spill-over of traffic onto residential streets in the area, making other intersections worse. The Village's case is that the traffic will have to go somewhere, and it will inevitably diminish the quality of life for residents living anywhere near the mall.

On March 3 at 3 p.m., the Village's witnesses will be cross-examined by Mr. Balin, the attorney for Retail Property Trust and Village residents will have an opportunity to address the Zoning Board of Appeals directly. All residents of the Village who can attend are asked to come and show their support by either testifying or simply showing a Village presence in the audience. Before March 3, Chairman Hodges has stated that residents of the Village, or any other concerned party, can write to the Town Zoning Board of Appeals expressing their views. He reminded those present that the Board is currently addressing two points, the findings under SEQR and the FAR issue. Under the current zoning the mall is already beyond the allowable .4 FAR (Floor Area Ratio) and now the request is to expand beyond .696. Those interested in addressing their concerns about the environmental ramifications of the proposed mall expansion or FAR issue can send letters addressed to Chairman H. William Hodges III and the members of the Town of Hemsptead Zoning Board of Appeals at Hempstead Town Hall, Town Hall Plaza, 1 Washington Street, Hempstead, NY 11550.

Also, residents can contact Trustee Bruce Torino, who is organizing the Village's opposition effort, through Village Hall (742-5800 or 351 Stewart Avenue, Garden City, 11530), or their POA president. Letting the Village officials know that one wishes to speak will allow them to better prepare for the upcoming hearing. Residents can also simply arrive at the pavilion behind Town Hall a little before 3 p.m. on March 3 and sign up to speak.

For directions to Town Hall or more information, residents can call Town Hall at 489-5000.