(The following letter was sent to County Executive Thomas Suozzi and printed here at the writer's request.)

Despite all good intentions, one of the common difficulties in hosting a community forum, such as the one you held at the Rushmore School in Carle Place, on May 12, is the inability to budget enough time for all comments. Due to time limitations I withheld my comments in order to allow others the opportunity to ask questions and elicit information specific to your proposal for economic development in Nassau County. However, I do want to express my opinion and comment on your proposal for economic development in Nassau County.

At the outset of your presentation, you accurately stated that the North Hempstead residents living along the North Hempstead/Hempstead border have borne much of the burden for the commercial development within the Town of Hempstead where it abuts North Hempstead (e.g. The Source Mall, Roosevelt Field, etc.). Likewise the communities between the LIE and Old Country Road have also sustained a burden as they are traffic laden as a result of people traveling to this same commercial area.

The thrust of your economic development plan as described by you is based upon your desire for "expanding the tax base." However, the new proposals for economic development within your plan would bring "no expanded tax base" to the residents of the Town of North Hempstead and the villages within the North Hempstead Town borders.

Therefore your proposal would further burden the residents of North Hempstead without any economic benefit. I will be specific in demonstrating that your proposal must be opposed by all North Hempstead residents and its elected and public officials.

First, the development of the HUB will no doubt benefit the Town of Hempstead and the affected school districts and special districts located in the Town of Hempstead. However, none of the municipal and governmental entities located in the Town of North Hempstead will see one cent in additional assessed valuation or tax receipts. None of the school districts, villages, special districts or residents will glean a single benefit from your economic development plan.

Second, the residents of the Town of North Hempstead have expressed clear opposition to the proposal to allow construction of apartment units on top of store units. However, a cornerstone of your plan for affordable housing has resurrected the issue of "mixed use" zoning, which the residents of the Town of North Hempstead have been told was "dead on arrival."

Third, the communities along the southern tier of the Town of North Hempstead are the ones who are going to be burdened by the new access to the transportation/rail/bus systems under consideration in your HUB study. Here again, the residents of the Town of North Hempstead are being asked to bear this burden without any economic or other benefit, a position which is untenable and unacceptable.

Lastly, it is somewhat troubling that the developers of this plan will be the ones that will benefit most from this proposal. It raises the question of whether or not those same developers have contributed money to the candidate committees of the decision makers involved in this plan. If that is the case, the plan advocates and developers taint the lofty goals expressed at the forum.

While the meeting was certainly informational, I can express in no uncertain terms not only my opposition but the collective opposition of the residents in the affected communities toward this plan.

In sum, your plan should be scrapped. I will continue to attend meetings and to assist members of my community in this matter and trust that you take these comments in the constructive fashion in which they are offered.

Francis X. Moroney