According to the area merchants, parking spots are few and far between over at Station Plaza North due to the construction of the new temporary Mineola Boulevard Bridge.

Gregg Fishman, one of the partners of The Flower Boutique, a store located at Station Plaza North right across the street from the Mineola train station said, "We bought the store in April and it has been an extremely difficult situation."

"For me the main issue is the parking," said Pam Smith of neighboring Tower Communications. Fishman agreed that the lack of parking spaces has put a crimp in their businesses.

Smith estimated that out of the 55 spots available in between McGurks Tavern on one end of the row of Station Plaza North stores and the Double H Pub, which is around the corner on Mineola Boulevard, there has been a loss of 38 spots due to the construction.

According to Joe Balbi, chief inspector for Bruce Ogurek, civil engineer for the New York State Department of Transportation, there has been a permanent loss of somewhere between 14 and 15 spots along the narrow access from Mineola Boulevard to Station Plaza North.

However, after the project is completed Front Street will be re-opened creating an access to Station Plaza North from Main Street and room for 12 more parking spots.

Special Projects Coordinator for the Village Walter Moloughney suggested that part of the problem would be resolved if the merchants did not park their own cars in the spaces in front of their business establishments.

Last Friday morning Moloughney counted nine out of the 17 spots in front of the stores were occupied by cars belonging to employees of the stores.

When asked where they should park, Moloughney answered, "We would eliminate a lot of the parking concerns if they used the municipal parking." Moloughney indicated that the municipal parking is less than two blocks north of the businesses.

Fishman and Smith both said that they were told that parking arrangements would be made for them at another site, however nothing ever came to fruition.

Ridgway said that the negotiations to utilize that parking are still ongoing.

Lack of parking is not the only problem according to Fishman. Poor access to Station Plaza North from Mineola Boulevard in particular, the possibility that the residents do not know that their businesses are still open and ticketing by village parking enforcement are all additional problems for him.

The first issue, that of access, was also a concern of Mineola Fire Department Chief Walter Langer. Langer wanted to ensure that the MFD's Tower Ladder would be able to fit down the street if there was an emergency.

According to Mineola Village Clerk Brian Ridgway, the issue was addressed with the DOT in a two hour meeting called by Mayor John P. Colbert, in which the parties examined the situation and rectified it. The temporary fence that had been erected was removed in order to give access to the Tower Ladder.

As for the signs to, in the words of fellow concerned business owner Marek Dyminski of the Watch Doctor Inc., "Let the people know that we are still here and still open," Fishman feels that there has been no progress, but Ridgway said the situation is still being considered.

Fishman said, "If it goes up thereafter we are out of business it does us no good." He added, "Having a block of vacant stores down here is not going to help the town."

Moloughney countered that since the street has never been closed then there is little that would lend itself to the theory that people think the stores are closed.

As for the ticketing, Fishman said, "There has been to our perception a degree of harassment, and though it has been limited it still hurts."

Ridgway said the reason for what might be considered aggressive ticketing is in part for safety reasons. Due to the aforementioned narrow streets, cars must be kept moving particularly at the point demarcated by the "X."

Another concern expressed by the merchants is that the project will never get done, however, Ridgway announced that the project is in fact ahead of schedule.

"We need to work together instead of fighting one another," said Fishman. Ridgway would tend to agree, "The bottom line is the village is trying to do everything possible to alleviate the headache caused by the construction. We are all in the same boat."