Mineola and Garden City are two distinct villages but there are some concerns they both share. Last week, at a luncheon of the Garden City Chamber of Commerce, Mineola Mayor Jack M. Martins spoke about taxes, the proposal for a Long Island Rail Road third track and the Nassau County HUB.

While Garden City is Mineola's neighbor to the south, the two villages share different demographics. But one thing the two villages share in common with just about every community on Long Island is a growing tax burden. Each year, taxes increase and residents are asked to shoulder a bigger burden. Yet, communities such as Mineola and Garden City, because they have already matured and don't have much room to expand, don't have much opportunity to increase their tax bases.

Mayor Martins explained the need to look for ways to expand the tax base to lessen the burden on taxpayers, which he called overly suffocating. In Mineola, as part of the Master Plan, Mayor Martins said the village would be focused on the development of the Old Country Road corridor as a way of expanding the tax base.

The mayor pointed out that from Roslyn Road to just west of the Mineola train station, south of the tracks, there isn't a single residential unit. Mayor Martins is in favor of encouraging developing of residential condos or co-ops in this area. Such development would not only provide housing and expand the tax base, but would also supplement the business community.

Does the mayor plan on building skyscrapers along Old Country Road in order to expand the tax base? Not exactly. Mayor Martins said although there is a three-story height restriction that was imposed in 1986, he would be in favor of changing zoning so that developments can be built up to six stories along that Old Country Road corridor. "In my view, six stories, 70 or 72 feet, which is in keeping with some of the buildings we already have in our downtown, is high enough. We can build probably in the area of 500 to 750 units of co-ops and condos, increase our tax base by close to $1 million in recurring income, not only to the village but to the school district and afford some much needed tax relief to our residents and business community," he said.

The mayor said the village is in discussion with developers who have ideas for development of the area. "Building residentially in our downtown by our train station is going to be a tremendous success," he said.

Mayor Martins also spoke about an MTA proposal to build a third track for the Long Island Rail Road from Bellerose to Hicksville and said he plans on meeting with representatives from the Long Island Rail Road this month to discuss their plans.

The mayor though expressed concern about how a proposal would affect Mineola and why it needs to be constructed. Mayor Martins doesn't feel building a third track for a reverse commute is necessary and expressed concern that it would be used to move freight. "I don't see a need to redevelop additional traffic and additional tracks along the main line because of a reverse commute," he said, adding his concern that Mineola would be used as a train station to access that third track. "We cannot move on with a discussion on the viability of a third track until the impacts to the local communities are not only identified but a plan is put in place to offset those impacts."

Mayor Martins also discussed the idea of a Nassau County HUB and how the transportation component may affect communities such as Mineola. Mayor Martins is concerned about a plan to bring a light rail system or rapid bus system into Mineola because of a negative impact it may have on traffic and congestion in the village. "Each community should have the ability to determine for itself how it plans to set its own future without interference and without undue influence from other areas," he said.

In his time as mayor, Martins hasn't shied away from fights with the county and the state. He may have some more on his hands in the coming months, although he is running for re-election in March.