On Saturday, September 4, my wife and I awoke looking forward to a holiday weekend complete with the usual fare of barbecues, time with friends and the enjoyment of our home nestled so quietly among the trees. This scene was about to be shattered by the delivery of a certified letter informing us of a public hearing at the Glen Cove Planning Board to witness the "minor" subdivision and plan to build two mammoth homes and a roadway in the backyard of a neighbor. This backyard, affectionately referred to as "the woods," is completely surrounded by many homes on Pine Low, High Pine, and Crescent Beach Road. For many, many years it has provided a pristine and natural habitat for the local animals and vegetation; a truly beautiful parcel appreciated by all who view it. Within hours of receipt of this notice, many of the 15 or so homeowners had rallied together to discuss this gross assault on the environment. One need only take a casual drive to the corner of Woolsey and Dosoris and view the "not magnificent seven" or perhaps the Avalon, to get an inkling of what is in store for our fair city.

A well-funded and highly powered machine known as the mysterious 44 Sea Cliff Avenue Corp. is the motivating force behind this proposed construction. The motivating force behind the homeowners is to try and preserve and maintain what is the real beauty of Glen Cove. The addition of more roads and huge McMansions that use virtually every bit of property and look down upon all the neighboring homes is aesthetically repugnant to everyone. As of now, the matter is scheduled to come before the Glen Cove Planning Board on Tuesday, Oct. 5. Join us and let your feelings be known. It's up to all of us not to "pave paradise and put up a parking lot." Your backyard and your neighbors' may be the next victims.

Donald Bikoff