An article 78 Notice of Petition was filed with the Supreme Court of the State of New York in Mineola on March 11 by the law office of Murphy, Bartol & O'Brien on behalf of their clients, MAC (Manhasset Action Committee) for Public Parks.

The Petition challenges the Town's approval last November of the sale of 2.4 acres of property at the intersection of Bayview Avenue and East Shore Road by the LIRR trestle. In MAC's opinion, this is an environmentally sensitive area that needed environmental study and consideration before the sale was approved. In addition, they charge that this property constitutes an integral part of a potential greenbelt linking it to Manhasset Valley Park and that any projected development for this area is ecologically unsound.

The Petition in effect seeks to rescind the sale to provide the opportunity for adequate environmental study and additional consideration of public opinion with regard to this property.

Supervisor Newburger said, on hearing of the suit, "Although I cannot comment directly on this particular legal action, the public record clearly shows the continued efforts over the last five years by two supervisors to sell the former truck yard in question. This was never a secret. In fact, local civic leaders were told many times over the past years that this property would be sold.

"Recent politically-motivated efforts by some to mislead the Manhasset community about the legal status of the property have been discredited completely. The whole web of false rumor is doubly unfortunate since the property was sold to someone who is not only a highly reputable developer, but whose vision for the property would have answered a real need and would have enhanced both the property and the surrounding neighborhood."