Barbarians at the Gate

The Civic Association of Strathmore Vanderbilt requires the assistance of all Manhasset residents to defeat an application for a driveway or curb cut at the entrance to our community: The White Pillars at Country Club Drive and Old Shelter Rock Road. The Village of North Hills has approved the development of a single family residence at this location and issued a foundation permit. The owner has commenced site demolition under the assumption that the Town of North Hempstead or Nassau County would approve a driveway in the future. The Civic Association opposes this plan and resents the fact that hundreds of trees have been clear cut and the site excavated without a viable plan for access. This is precisely how the former Village Bath Club and Staples sites became environmental disasters - haste, ignorance, poor planning.

Most of you know this location as one of the busiest intersections in Manhasset. We who use this critical access road daily know that introducing another driveway would exacerbate an already difficult, dangerous situation. The site is adjacent to a park that, by definition, attracts pedestrian traffic and children in particular - further complicating the pedestrian traffic flow in an area already without sidewalks is unconscionable.

I have personally witnessed accidents at this location and cannot understand how any responsible adult or governmental body could proceed with such a plan without understanding the facts. The overriding issue is that the proposed driveway effectively compromises the safety, quality of life and rights of thousands to accommodate a single land owner - it is wrong and the ability to proceed without a viable plan for site access is unacceptable.

Please write at your earliest convenience to: Honorable Thomas Gulotta, Nassau County Executive, One West Street, Mineola, NY 11501. With copies to; Honorable May Newburger, Supervisor of the Town of North Hempstead, 220 Plandome Road, P.O. Box 3000, Manhasset, NY 11030, Mayor John Lentini, North Hills Village Hall, One Shelter Rock Road, Roslyn, NY 11576.

James M. Molloy
Acting President
Strathmore Vanderbilt Civic Association