The regular meeting of the Levittown Property Owners Association (LPOA) was held at the Porto Fino Ristorante in Levittown for an enjoyable dinner and sociable get-together before summer vacation time.

President Morrow had good news to report on an issue of long duration which has engaged the interest of LPOA members and residents: Legalizing fences in Levittown.

Just as "Rome was not built in a day," the legalization of fences in Levittown did not occur overnight without much planning on the part of the Town of Hempstead officials, prompted by years of input from the Levittown Property Owners Association.

The LPOA met with Supervisor Joseph Mondello (at that time a resident of Levittown), with his successors Supervisor Gregory Peterson and Supervisor Richard Guardino, their legal staff and the Town of Hempstead Building Department on numerous occasions to convey the wishes of residents for a change in the Levittown Planned Residence District (LPRD) zoning ordinance which would allow fences without renewable permits or fees.

Mr. Mondello feared the change would create a "fortress Levittown." Others thought that what we wanted was too unlike the rest of the Town of Hempstead Residence B districts' legal or permitted fences. But Levittown, by its very historic existence, is already unique in that it is the only unincorporated village in the Town of Hempstead with its own zoning ordinance (the LPRD), adopted in December 1975 when the 25-year covenants created by William Levitt expired.

When the Levitts planned this community for returning WW II veterans, it was an "age of innocence," the residents were homogeneous, mothers were homemakers and rarely worked outside the home. With changing times and especially after September 11, people feel there is greater security with fences around their homes. Also, over the years, residents felt the enforcement as practiced by the Town of Hempstead Building Department was both selective and discriminatory.

The LPOA requested specific heights and locations which reflect most of the existing fences now in place (whether legally or illegally). Our Town Councilman, Gary Hudes, kept the issue before the board for many months. Now that the change in the ordinance has been approved, homeowners will no longer face periodic permits and renewal fees or fear that an installed "illegal" fence would have to be removed. A 6-foot high fence can enclose the rear yard and back side yards to the front house line. From the front house line, a 4-foot open fence may be installed on the side yard up to the front sidewalk and across the front yard.

As poet Robert Frost said in his poem Mending Wall: "Good fences make good neighbors." The Town of Hempstead finally saw it our way.

The next meeting of the LPOA will be on Sept. 10 in the Levittown Public Library at 7:30 p.m.