To Residents of Sea Cliff and Hempstead Harbor Communities

The debate regarding the establishment of a ferry terminal in Glen Cove, at the mouth of Glen Cove Creek, has not only brought about a long overdue dialogue on the subject, but has also, unfortunately, resulted in unfounded allegations, unrelated to the issue at hand, that tend to appeal to the worst in us. The unfortunate incident involving the dumping of snow residue on the Village beach by Village crews certainly does not serve to calm the situation in any way. I regret that it occurred and I apologize for it. I have ordered a full investigation and will take appropriate action to assure that it is not repeated. The DEC has looked into the matter and we will accept whatever penalties are assigned. But be assured that there will be no repetition. It is not true that "they always did it." In the past, we have engaged in the same snow removal practices as our neighboring communities. The practice has been to put the snow onto empty spaces like parking lots. We have not had a snow removal problem in the past few years because of mild winters. Whatever the current regulations are about snow removal, we will abide by them. This Village does not have to be reminded that the health of our harbor affects us all. I would like to take this opportunity to remind and assure our residents and neighbors of the long-standing policies and record of the Village of Sea Cliff regarding the harbor and its environmental health.

This Village takes a back seat to no one with respect to its aggressive dedication to the protection and improvement of our collective quality of life. With our history of dependence on the harbor as a recreational asset, the Village long ago established an Environmental Commission to oversee our practices and recommend changes. We fought against the North Hempstead incinerator when we joined the other communities around the harbor to block its expansion, and ultimately to see to its destruction. More recently, we fully supported Glen Cove in its incinerator battles, as a party in the action to close it. The Village commissioned a shoreline study to evaluate the effects of our own life styles on our own shoreline. It has proven to be a watershed document, serving as a model for similar initiatives elsewhere, and as a guide for our own actions. Among other things, it served to alert us all to the dangers of non-point source pollution, particularly in the form of street runoff into the harbor, a battle now being taken up by the Hempstead Harbor Protection Committee. In fact, this committee owes its existence in large part to the initiative and persistence of a former mayor of Sea Cliff. At our insistence, the only runoff retention and separation basin in Nassau County is located in the newly reconstructed Sea Cliff Park. It filters runoff from upper Prospect Avenue and Cliffway, which formerly discharged directly into the harbor. As a further commitment, the Village will maintain this basin and analyze its contents to record its effectiveness. Included in a current grant application, as a part of the establishment of a new Boulevard promenade along our beach, is a similar retention basin to be located in the beach parking lot, which will treat runoff from the Carpenter Ave.-Prospect Ave. Watershed, the eastern portion of the Boulevard and the parking lot. After an initial feasibility study, the Village has also recently completed plans for the construction of a line to connect the homes on the Boulevard to the Glen Cove sewer system. Preliminary discussions with the City of Glen Cove had been under way, aimed toward the establishment of an inter-municipality agreement when the ferry intruded.

The Village of Sea Cliff has a long-standing policy and a record with respect to the protection of the environment and it is committed to its continuation.

Claudia Moyne

Mayor, Village of Sea Cliff