On June 6, the North West Civic Association of Hicksville thanked the Town Board of Oyster Bay for its courage and wisdom to deny the Costco Wholesale Corporation to build in Hicksville. We were confident that the comments of the residents, the true expert witnesses, had been seriously considered in reaching their decision. The town board demonstrated to us a commitment to responsible development, that all development does not automatically advance the goals of the town and that every application should be based on its individual merit and the affect it will have on the community.

In the letter, we also stated, "We hope the Costco Corporation will have the same integrity and takes this opportunity to further its commitment to working with communities by accepting the decision of the town board."

This has not been the case. The integrity that Costco may have had when they thought they would ease any opposition soon disappeared after the town denied their application. According to the Long Island Business News (Dec. 12 to 18 edition), Costco has appealed and had the courts reverse the town's decision in their favor. They have bullied their way into the Hicksville community through the court system. They gave the appearance of being concerned and wanting to be accepted, but when the town board denied their application-based on traffic and the negative impact it will have on the residents and local businesses, they made a conscience decision to trample on our community anyway.

Costco's action has made it clear to us that they never had any real consideration for the neighborhood or interaction with its residents.

The reason we are taking exception to this action is because while some may cheer the decision to build a Costco in Hicksville, the bigger picture is that businesses from all over the country are coming here and bullying our towns and communities for the sake of their own profiteering. We are entering an era where large corporations will dictate what we purchase, where we purchase and the cost virtually eliminating competition. The "wake-up call" is only heard when it's in your own backyard, then it's too late!

The judges who decide on these issues are not aware of the impact they will have on our neighborhood, they just dictate their own opinions. There has been no saturation considered, for example, BJ's is 1.8 miles away. Their total disregard for additional traffic, the affect on small businesses and the quiet enjoyment of one's property has been blurred by statistics and engineers who do not live in the area. The experts are the people who live in their own neighborhoods, not engineers with formulas and statistics that can be skewed to satisfy their own agenda. Unfortunately, these corporations have the competence and resources to convince a judge that they have been wronged.

So where does this leave us? We are at the mercy of all newcomers to loot our neighborhoods and forever change its landscape in the name of greed. It's time to wake up and unite.

John Russo, president

North West Civic Association of Hicksville