For the past 25 years, the property located at the corner of Whitewood Drive and Merrick Road in Massapequa Park has been an eyesore. It currently generates very little revenue for the village or the school district, and has little or no redeeming value.

The current proposal to rezone the property and begin construction of a senior housing complex seems to be a terrific idea. The senior housing concept provides affordable and comfortable residences for our retired generation. It would be, in essence, a strong asset to the community.

Massapequa located senior housing would allow residents who worked hard to build this community from the bottom up, to remain within the community for the rest of their lives. Unfortunately, it's expensive to live on Long Island. And for some on fixed incomes, it's nearly impossible. Affordable senior housing has the ability of changing all this while allowing parents to live in the community with their adult children, and grandchildren.

The village should hear the call of those seniors who attended the last village board meeting. With their integrity and wisdom they were pleading for the community to give them the ability to remain in the town that they love and built.

The only problem that there seems to be in the current proposal stems in the priority for occupancy. The idea is that Village of Massapequa Park residents would have the first priority, next would be residents of School District 23 and then residents of the Town of Oyster Bay. But, that might be too limited.

Remember, residents of the Village of Massapequa Park don't all pay taxes to the Massapequa School District. Many in the northern portion of the village attend the Farmingdale Public School System.

The village should allow residents in the Farmingdale School District, which incorporates Massapequa Park and North Massapequa, priority before opening the priority up to residents of the Town of Oyster Bay.