(Ed. Note: The following letter was sent to the mayor and board of trustees and is printed here at the author's request.)

We residents know that being a trustee of our Village often seems to require the wisdom of Solomon, the patience of Job and the leadership of Lincoln. And, even when you exhibit these qualities in deciding a controversial issue, those on the disappointed side will doubtlessly accuse you of behaving like Larry, Curly and Moe.

This seems especially so on this divisive parking issue. There have been sound arguments on both sides, forcefully presented. Your arms have been twisted so often, you must all need Ace bandages.

In the end, we hope that justice and common sense will prevail and that you will listen to the majority voice of those you represent.

The residents most affected by this plan of taking houses for parking-those in the Central Section-have overwhelmingly and repeatedly expressed their strong preference to please do not knock down homes and pave over green space for additional parking.

This is why trustees Torino and Miller have been so strong in their opposition to this misguided, outdated plan. They know what their constituents want.

Indeed, opposition to the original Danth proposal, which riled up the whole Village, was a prime reason why both trustees Torino and Miller became active in Village government in the first place. It is also why they enjoy such overwhelming popularity and support throughout Central. They are respected, liked and trusted by their fellow Central residents precisely because they are our most articulate and trustworthy spokespeople on the issues that matter most to us.

Won't you please listen to your fellow trustees who represent the part of the village most affected by this plan? Wouldn't you want as much from them regarding a matter most directly affecting your part of town?

The business interests lobbying so relentlessly to demolish homes for parking repeatedly say that more parking is essential to revitalize Franklin Avenue. This is simply not true.

Over the last two decades, as Franklin Avenue has slipped from days of glory to days of blight, the number of parking spaces has remained about the same. (Actually, parking has been moderately increased.)

So, the true cause of this decline has not been a lack of parking. The real cause has been the rise and dominance of Roosevelt Field-and its surrounding stores on Old Country Road-as the preferred shopping destination in our area. Roosevelt Field has been Franklin Avenue's deadliest threat to retail prosperity-not a few houses that have always stood where they stand today.

Regardless of how you may feel personally about shopping in Roosevelt Field, the vast majority of shoppers from other towns simply prefer to shop at the mall.

Because the thundering herd prefers the mall, large retailers prefer the mall as well. Trying to fight this is as fruitless as passing an edict to repeal the law of gravity. Where traffic and money are flowing in heaviest volume-that's where the big retail stores want to be. That's true this year. It was true last year. It will be true five years from now, regardless of how many homes that business interests demand be knocked down.

Ignoring this reality, trying to compete head-on with this mighty retail mecca of Roosevelt Field-and failing miserably-this is why Franklin Avenue has been in decline.

Instead of trying to compete head-on with Roosevelt Field to offer shoppers the same types of stores already at the mall in much greater abundance, the owners of large Franklin Avenue properties would be much more successful with a niche strategy-attracting stores, industries or sectors that are not available in Roosevelt Field. Trying to be a me-too, small version of what's already available in Roosevelt Field is a guaranteed prescription for continued vacancies.

Garden City's true growth industries cluster in the medical, health, legal and financial sectors. Companies serving these sectors may not be as glamorous as a Bloomingdale's and Nordstrom's. But if you look closely, you will see that these are our town's most successful tenants.

On some days in Sears, you can shoot a cannonball through the store and not hit a customer. The same holds true for Saks, which has repeatedly expressed its desire to relocate to Roosevelt Field.

On the other hand, have you ever noticed how busy the doctors and medical offices are in town? Have you ever noticed how many banks and brokerage houses we have? Have you ever thought about how many law firms and related services might like to be a stone's throw from the court house? Has anyone stopped to think how many more doctors, health and diet centers, financial companies, law firms and related services in these thriving sectors could be attracted to Garden City if a powerful, coordinated marketing plan were targeted to them?

Medical, health, legal and financial-these are our true growth industries, not fancy department stores. Companies and services in these four growing sectors are what's prospering here already and will prosper even more as the population of Nassau County ages. Most importantly, these are not companies and services available in abundance at our competition-the Roosevelt Field-and-Old Country Road retail mecca.

Realizing this and acting upon it with vision and a united strategy among large property owners-that is the answer to vacancies on Franklin, not tearing down yet more homes for additional parking spaces.

Gary Bencivenga