On Sept. 8 at 8 p.m., Mayor Daniel Petruccio and the New Hyde Park Village Board of Trustees will consider the enactment of several local laws amending the zoning code of New Hyde Park at a special meeting to be held at Marcus Christ. The special meeting was called for the specific purpose of conducting a vote. The mayor stated that he expected the board to pass a motion adopting the proposed local laws.

The vote contemplated by the board will bring to a conclusion a moratorium on the issuance of building permits in the village which has been in effect for more than a year. That moratorium was put into place in order to allow the board to develop code provisions which would stem the decline of the retail base in the village's non-residential zoning districts and attract additional retail establishments in those districts.

The proposed zoning code amendments will set forth uses in the non-residential zones which will be permitted as of right and those which will require a special permit in order to be established. The current code provisions do not give any land-use guidance whatsoever, since they only speak about businesses and uses which are prohibited. Legal advisors have indicated to the board that the current provisions in the code do not adequately protect the village and are antiquated.

In addition to a public hearing on the proposed local laws, the mayor and trustees have met informally with business leaders, residents and commercial property owners in order to receive direct input on the proposals. In fact, at the end of the public hearing the mayor specifically left the official record open for two weeks in order to give all citizens the opportunity to submit any suggestions they might have for adding specific uses to the list contained in the proposed amendment. In response, several helpful suggestions were received.

In announcing the special meeting of the board of trustees, Mayor Petruccio had high praise for the community's involvement in dialoging about the possible impacts of the proposed amendments upon the future of New Hyde Park. In fact, the mayor stated that the amendments, necessitated by the expiration of the moratorium, are an interim step in a process which will set a vision and roadmap for the future of the village's land use for years to come. He said that in order to further the vision-development process, the village is considering retaining the services of a professional planner for the creation of a formal, comprehensive plan for the village's economic vitality, beneficial land use and life-quality environment over the next 20 years.

"The main thing that all members of the community should be aware of," said the mayor, "is that by passing these local laws the board is just "beginning" a process, not 'ending' it." Stating that the interim zoning provisions to be adopted form part of a living document, Mayor Petruccio added that "no one should be afraid to bring forth a project in New Hyde Park which will be of benefit to the village, since there are many mechanisms in our new code which will give us the ability to foster and encourage such projects."

The mayor stated that he and the trustees look forward to working with the professional planning firm and with a soon-to-be appointed Community Planning Committee composed of a broad based and diverse representation of residents, business owners, commercial property owners and village officials and staff in order to formulate a Master Plan for New Hyde Park which will set a vision for and ultimately guide the village for years to come.