At the July 12 Massapequa Park Village Board meeting several residents questioned various procedures of the village during both the public hearing and the regular meeting.

The first queries came during the public hearing to consider an application from Joseph Casalone for a permit to install a new vinyl interlocking bulkhead supported by piles 18" from the existing bulkhead on Harbor Lane. Casalone explained that the project had already been approved by both the DEC and Army Corps of Engineers and he just needed the permit from the village in order to do the work on his bulkhead which has been undermined.

"Can you explain to me why, if a man wants to save his bulkheading and save his house he has to go before a public hearing," questioned Les Astrof, a Massapequa Park resident.

Bill Van Wagner, deputy mayor, who presided over most of the meeting for Mayor Camillo Giannattasio who arrived late, answered, "The way that the law is written, it calls that any piling put in the waterway must be put before the mayor and the board." Van Wagner also noted that previous boards had not enforced this law but that this board has decided to enforce it. He added, "I think it's a good idea to have it come in front of the people so you know what's going on. I, myself did some bulkhead work and was criticized after it because the building inspector just approved it and said go ahead and do it because the Corps and the DEC said it was okay. I would rather the rest of the people look at it and have a public say it so they don't say [after the fact] 'God, that's ugly.'"

Mario Sonzone, who is suing the village because he was denied permission to put a boat lift in the canal behind his Harbor Lane home, questioned why this resident had to have a public hearing when another Harbor Lane resident, who had bulkhead work done around the time Sonzone was trying to have his work done, did not have to have a public hearing. Van Wagner suggested that the resident may have started the bulkhead work before this board was seated and therefore did not need the permit. He said that the board would look into it.

The board approved Casalone's permit unanimously.

The next round of questions came during the regular meeting when Van Wagner read a resolution referring a study of the Village Mother-Daughter zoning regulations, including local ordinances and application procedures, to the Planning Commission. After reading the resolution Van Wagner noted that in the past the village had a particular application process for a Mother-Daughter dispensation and added that the village wants to tighten up the process.

When the board voted unanimously on it there were questions raised about why the board did not let the residents have a say before it was voted on. It was at this point that Van Wagner explained that the resolution was only to refer the issue to the Planning Commission to study whether any changes should be made and if so what changes. He stated, "The study will then come back to us and we'll talk about putting something together that is firmer than what we have. We normally do something like that when we find something that really needs to be tightened up."

Another issue that was questioned during the meeting was the amendment of the real estate sign law. When Les Astrof questioned the amendment, Village Attorney Robert Leff stated, "All we did was delete a section where the content of the sign was limited. The limitation of three feet from the building line and also the size of the sign, 15 inches by 15 inches, remains intact, that was passed in 1997." Leff noted that now the signs, which were previously limited to saying "For Sale" or "For Rent" with a phone number, could have almost anything, except if it is obscene, on them.

Astrof asked the board if they were aware of a new law that recently came down from Nassau County, about real estate signs, open house signs and balloons. He then stated that the county has passed a law banning tag sale signs on telephone poles and open house signs on curbs or sidewalks. John O'Brien, special assistant to the mayor, said that the 7th Precinct goes around Massapequa on Saturdays collecting those signs. Astrof then explained that on Sunday he put out four signs, and called the 7th Precinct, and the signs were never removed. The question of signs in the village is a hot topic because Massapequa Park is currently being sued by the Long Island Board of Realtors, who charge that the village is violating property owners' constitutional rights by their limitation on signs.

The final issue raised had more to do with the schools than the village, but Harry Jacobson was seeking the village's assistance dealing with the noise coming from the construction on the schools. Jacobson requested that the village speak with town elected officials to do something about the fact that construction has begun on the schools at 6 a.m., seven days a week, and sometimes goes until 10 p.m.

Van Wagner explained that the schools are autonomous and did not have to follow village noise ordinances. O'Brien noted that the construction has been beginning early and finishing late because they could not work during the extreme heat of the day and the projects are way behind schedule, jeopardizing schools being able to open on time.

Jacobson responded, "I know that they have schedules to follow but people have to sleep. There are sick people on my block who had to be taken to the hospital because of this." Giannattasio, who arrived during the discussion agreed to speak with the school board and elected officials on the residents' behalf.