Lauding the Town of Oyster Bay's commitment to maintaining the suburban quality of life for its residents, recently appointed Republican Councilman Martin Massell is running for his first election to the town board.

Massell, who was appointed councilman when Thomas Clark retired after a 23-year tenure on the board, has been going door-to-door during his campaign to listen to the concerns of town residents. He has stated that he is intent on continuing the initatives undertaken by the current board.

"I am getting a very positive sense that they enjoy living in the town of Oyster Bay and they are very happy living here," said Massell. "They are very positive people out there and nice to go out and talk to."

Massell cited the town's parks and beaches as an indicator of the present board's commitment to providing top-notch services for its residents.

"The quality of life is very important in the Town of Oyster Bay. Our beaches and parks are beautiful. I have had the occasion to go to the Cedar Parks and Beaches," said Massell. "We also have a lot of programs for seniors and children and we are trying to keep these services at a high level. I would think the Town of Oyster Bay is the most desirable place to live and the reason for that is the services that we provide for people."

Massell, a long-time Oyster Bay resident presently living in Hicksville, explained that this is evidenced by the strong condition of the real estate market in the town.

"It is not a mistake that the house values in the town have gone up so much in recent years. It is just incredible how people want to move to our Town of Oyster Bay. There is something going right in our town and it has to be the town government that is doing it."

Massell, an attorney in private practice, served as the deputy town attorney from 1982-83 and has been serving as a part-time staff counsel to the Nassau County Legislature since 1997. He graduated from CW Post Campus of Long Island University with a bachelor of arts degree in economics and received his juris doctor degree from Delaware Law School.

Democratic challengers in this year's election have cited the need for a master plan to coordinate town development in the coming years. The plan would outline initiatives and goals which would guide future development. Massell disagrees. He believes a master plan would ultimately constrict the town board and prevent it from making sound decisions on a case by case basis.

"I do not believe the town needs a master plan, we have a living, breathing zoning map," said Massell. "If there need to be changes to zoning, that should be left up to the town board to make determinations. There has to be some flexibility somewhere and if you had a master plan I believe the town would lose that flexibility."

In addition to working to maintain the suburban character of the town, Massell is also voicing his concern for preserving its environmentally sensitive areas, such as the Underhill property in Jericho. The undeveloped land lies over a major aquifer and is considered a major recharging basin for that aquifer. The owners of the land are seeking to develop the 81 acres of land.

"I am all for the preservation of that land. I remember when Jericho Turnpike was all sod farms. It was just a beautiful piece of property up there, the whole area is just beautiful out there," said Massell. "I know the town has been involved with the preservation of that land for the last 10 years. We were out in the forefront fighting for the preservation for that. I think the question now is can someone can come up with the money to purchase the property."

Massell emphasized that "the town board is very responsible and dedicated to maintaining the quality of life which the residents of the Town of Oyster Bay deserve, and are entitled to."

He continued, "Anything that is going to affect that quality of life is going to be scrutinized very carefully by the town board and any development, if it does not fit with the suburban character of the surrounding communities I do not think that the town board will pass on that development. We are very environmentally concerned here and are determined to not let any development harm the environment."