New Hyde Park Village recently established a planning board to address the issues which affect the quality of life in the village. The purpose of the board is to review applications for sub-divisions and to perform architectural reviews of new construction and major reconstruction including the review of preliminary site plans on the jobs.

Mayor Daniel Petruccio named eight appointees who will serve on the planning board. They are: Chairman Kevin McHale, Peter Goetz, Diane McCarrick, Edward Zebrowski, James Vandsandt, Jerome Trimboli, Giovanni Patane and Michael Koslow. The group will hold monthly meetings on the first Wednesday of the month. To get in touch with any member of the group, please call village hall at 354-0022.

At the last two meetings of the board many license renewals were approved including: National Waste Service, Doc's Billiard Emporium, Umberto's, for dancing/live music and restaurant; Barron Body Works, Inc., Jericho Hope Dry Cleaners, Safeway Auto Sales, L & J Tastani Enterprises, Inc., R.F. Catering, McMahons Pub, LTD for games and dancing, live music and restaurant; Nassau Country Inn for games, dancing, live music and restaurant; Jericho Pub. D/B/A Copperfields for dancing, live music and restaurant; Heng Chang Chinese, take-out restaurant and Taco Bell.

Residents on Sixth Avenue requested to park approximately 25 cars in the parking field located at South 12 Street and the Long Island Rail Road on April 28 from 11 a.m. to midnight. The request was granted and the Department of Public Works will be notified.

A resident of Brooklyn Avenue complained about the noise coming from Copperfields and about the trial held at the beginning of January. After a lengthy discussion Deputy Mayor Robert Lofaro explained that the legal process has to be followed. Trustee Lawrence Montreuil accepted the depositions presented from the Brooklyn Avenue resident and will discuss the matter with Superintendent of Buildings Sam Horowitz.

As a follow-up on the depositions regarding Copperfields presented to Trustee Montreuil, he reported that summonses were issued on most of the depositions. However, the Village Attorney John Spellman said that some of the depositions were not specific enough to issues a summons. The court date is set for Feb. 20 and the resident was contacted.

A resident asked if the part time code enforcer has started his job and if so was he checking to make sure that residents and store owners are taking care of their property. Trustee Montreuil reported that he is now working and is patrolling the area looking for either residential or business properties that are not in compliance with the code.

It was announced that the building superintendent will be on vacation during the first part of February so there will be no building permits issued, no inspections made and no certificates issued from Feb. 4 through Feb. 15.

Further, the next Board of Assessors meeting will be held on Feb. 7 followed by Grievance Day for the village to be held on Feb. 9. Residents who want to grieve their village tax can submit a grievance form. The forms are available at village hall.

Trustee Donald Barbieri reported that only three out of the 42 positions were retained in the Nassau County Department of Intergovernmental Affairs under newly installed Nassau County Executive Thomas Suozzi. Trustee Barbieri will try to meet with the new members in early February in an effort to continue to discuss the revitalization of Jericho Turnpike.

Former village trustee and head of the historical society Florence Lisanti and Steve Limoncelli are working together to have New Hyde Park Village Hall designated as a landmark.

There was a complaint, from a resident about the conditions at the taxi stand along the rail road. It was noted that the Department of Public Works cleans the site and it is never maintained by the owner of the stand. The resident also said that the taxi drivers double park and he wonders if all the cars that are parked have individual permits. The mayor said that he will look into the matter.

Another resident asked if something could be done to eliminate the problem with drivers exiting the Dunkin Donuts parking lot onto Jericho Turnpike. Deputy Mayor Robert Lofaro explained that the state approved the curb cut to exit the parking lot at the light since Jericho Turnpike is a state road.

A resident commented that Oyster Bay is financially benefiting by having seven cell towers. He said he thought it would be a good idea for the village to get the money from the construction of cell towers and to then use that money for road projects. Mayor Petruccio explained that there was a lot of controversy regarding cell towers and that village residents were not in favor of having them.

Prior to the next meeting, scheduled for Feb 5, there will be a public hearing at 7:30 p.m. to discuss the renewal of the Cablevision franchise. The village board meeting will follow the public hearing at 8 p.m. at village hall, corner of New Hyde Park Road and Jericho Turnpike.