Letter: Unintended Consequence

(Editors Note: This letter was sent to the Town of North Hempstead and to the Manhasset Press for publication.)

Although the town made more parking spaces on Orchard Street last month, they should not have allowed cars to park in front of the curbside drop-off mail collection boxes (the sign allowing parking is right next to the collection box). If a car is parked there, one must double park his car, get out, then squeeze between the car and the mail slot to deposit his mail. Also, it makes it very difficult for the post office employee to open the box and take out the mail. As a safety measure, I suggest that the sign be moved at least one car length to the right of the box on the next signpost, so that the area will be operational again.

I would bet that the Postal Service would agree that the sign should be moved forward to the right.

John W. Walter
Flower Hill Association

End of 2012 Legislative Session

Statement from NYSSBA Executive Director Timothy G. Kremer

As school districts around the state hold their graduation ceremonies, state lawmakers have also adjourned for the summer having completed a productive legislative session.

First, lawmakers delivered on mandate relief. They enacted Tier VI pension reform to make employee retirement systems more affordable, and allowed schools to use national purchasing cooperatives and “piggyback” onto large municipal contracts, paving the way for millions in cost savings.

Letter: Requesting Town Board To Modify Their Recommendation On Redistricting

(Editors Note: This letter was sent to members of the Town of North Hempstead Board and to the Manhasset Press for publication.)

The Council of Greater Manhasset Civic Associations’ position as given in testimony to the Temporary Committee on Redistricting is reiterated herein and presented to the town, requesting the town board’s modification of the temporary committee’s recommendation as it relates to the Manhasset communities of interest. The town can and should implement a better redistricting plan for the next decade than the option recommended by the temporary committee.

Richard Bentley, president
Council of Greater Manhasset Civic Associations

Letter: More Support For ‘Levitt Pool’

As a resident of the Town of North Hempstead, I am in support of the proposed Levitt Pool, proposed to be constructed on the site of the abandoned and decaying Roslyn Country Club. The availability of a new pool and tennis facility available to all town residents can only be an asset to all town residents; regardless whether the individual resident chooses to join now or in the future.

The town’s membership cost projections have already decreased as further analysis and studies have gone forth and are now lower than comparable clubs in the area. The town has gone on record there will be no cost impact to resident that choose not to become members.

Letter: Once In A Lifetime Opportunity For TONH

Legal, financial and Parks Department teams of the Town of North Hempstead are trying to finalize a purchase of what was known as the Roslyn Country Club.  If successful, this plan will reopen the facility by next season as Roslyn Park.

Due to a remarkable perfect storm of legal, financial and interest rate developments, this project can be completed at a fraction of its unencumbered value and financed at what are likely record-low interest rates that will not recur in our lifetimes. Home values in Roslyn Country Club and surrounding areas should increase immediately while other areas of the Town of North Hempstead should be positively affected, too. Detractors of the plan, many of whom seem to be political opponents of the administration, have relied on numerous distortions to weave cynical objections to the project.

Letter: Redistricting - Who Cares? If You Live In Plandome Heights You Better

On Monday, June 4 at the calendared public mMeeting of the Redistricting Committee, a working session with (no comments allowed) took place. Of the 42 letters and emails that had been received by the committee “mostly from Plandome Heights,” all of these messages were objecting to redistricting us to district 4 in Great Neck. No letters were discussed as being received from any other community. After careful and thoughtful consideration of the unanimous and strenuous objections from Plandome Heights’ citizens, the committee voted 5 of 9 to recommend to the town board “Option 3,” which redistricts Plandome Heights to the Great Neck district. The matter will move to the town board next. What does that mean you ask?

Letter: Mary Jane and Paul Whelan

On Memorial Day this year, about 9 a.m. until the parade stepped off at 10 a.m. on the corner of Plandome Road and Plandome Court in Plandome Heights, caring neighbors opened their back yard, side yard, side porch and their back patio to host an open house for any and all marchers that would be in the parade, for coffee, bagels, juice, water and other goodies.

Letter: Over Two Decades Of Community Opposition To Commercial Encroachment Now Up For Grabs

(Editor’s Note: This letter was sent to Supervisor Jon Kaiman and all town council members and to the Manhasset Press for publication.)

Perhaps you as a resident and voter may not be aware of the most recent fight facing your fellow Manhassetites regarding preservation of their neighborhood, quality of life and property values in Strathmore Village and a small portion of South Strathmore. The details, both currently and historically are too numerous and virtually impossible to discuss here. (Should you desire copies of emails outlining the issues at hand in detail, please contact This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ).

Letter: MTA Restoring Half Hourly Trains On PW Line...Not True

I was overjoyed when I read your article about the MTA’s decision to return half hourly service to the Port Washington LIRR train line. As a “green” minded citizen I like to think I am helping our environment by using public transportation. Having trains run only once an hour into NYC after “rush hour” was not encouraging use or convenient, not to mention the overcrowding that was the result of less trains. However, on examination of the new schedule I am aghast that none of the added trains stop at the Plandome Station.

Letter: Choosing Healthy Debate Vs. Mudslinging

The Village Bath property at The Gate in Strathmore Village is once again subject of much controversy. Last summer, a proposal to rezone the property to parking was considered and then withdrawn by the applicant in light of unanimous opposition. The unanimous opposition had two significant factors, its mediocre but compliant buffer zone with adjacent homeowners, and the far greater concern that by changing the zoning to parking, the prospective purchaser would in the future enable square footage to be added to the existing 1900 Northern Boulevard commercial property and achieve a total square footage that would then permit the owner to build a larger commercial building, and perhaps, as Kimco did at the King Kullen site, construct a building far closer to the surrounding residential community. After the application’s withdrawal, the prospective purchaser began discussions with the Strathmore Village Civic Association (SVCA) to address those concerns. SVCA and South Strathmore Civics engaged the adjacent homeowners in several meetings over the winter and spring, some of which I personally attended. I saw and heard many residents share their desire for plan revisions and concessions to address their specific concerns. I can attest that support indeed grew for the revised plan that now contains two important caveats: The purchaser agreed to (1) a written restrictive covenant that would preclude any future building on the Village Bath site and that its gross square footage would be restricted from being added to the existing commercial property for the purpose of achieving a larger commercial building than what is presently as-of-right by the 1900 Northern Boulevard commercial owner, and (2) a much improved buffer zone with adjacent homeowners was designed.