The Oyster Bay Town Board is considering the Hallock proposal to build a 112-unit assisted living facility on South Street. Robbie Hallock has a great many friends in the community including the Republican Party - to whom he has given his former showroom as a location for their election campaigns.

Robbie was the chairman of three Oyster Festivals. He donated a great deal of time and energy into trying to change the LIRR plans to better accommodate the community.

That is why it is so hard to fault his proposed plans.

Luckily, we have a suggestion that might be a win-win situation. The Town of Oyster Bay should buy the parcel from the Hallocks and fix up the existing parking lot, designate the American Legion Hall for re-use and sell off the rest of the parcel for small businesses.

Parking in that area of town has long been a problem. There isn't enough parking for the businesses in that part of town. There had been a suggestion to use what is now the Boys & Girls Club site as a parking lot.

Consider there are two funeral homes; a garden center that has a year-round business, a car dealership, an antique car repair facility, a marine supply store, an auto parts store, a tire store.

The current plan calls for the employees of the assisted living facility to park in a private lot, and the visitors to use the streets. Another speaker said the street in front of the facility should not have parking to keep open the sight lines.

Adaptive reuse on what is left is best for Oyster Bay and will stand the test of time.

The American Legion building could become a needed movie theater or a community center.

It could be used by the Oyster Bay Historical Society as a venue for their growing collection. It is after all a Town of Oyster Bay collection. They could hold lectures there and house their library, which is available to the public.

The town could use it as an office for the Oyster Bay Town Historian. There is a town archive that might be more accessible to the public there.

The building could also be a dinner theater. There is a stage and auditorium on the left side of the building. There is a kitchen on the second floor.

There could be bowling in the basement.

What if it became an entertainment venue - bowling and a movie theater to finally give the young people a place to go in town. It would be great for adults too. It could be an intergenerational location!

It might interest the wealthier - wonderfully philanthropic people in the community to see it as a great place, not only to donate funds to - but to enjoy themselves!

The American Legion might even decide to plow their funds back into the building to get it into shape.

The possibilities are endless if we get a little help from the town. The Hallock building on the site could turn into small shops that wouldn't rent for too big a nut to crack, to encourage start-up businesses. Small can be beautiful, just look at Locust Valley along Birch Hill Road. There is a strip of small elegant stores there that were redesigned from what we think was a garage, by John Collins. It can be done.

Recently, the Town of Oyster Bay bought the American Legion Hall in Glen Head for about $2.4 million. It was going to become a multiplex theater that the community didn't want.

The town created a needed community center out of the existing Legion building, the Legion built a new home for themselves and local children profited with a park area in back for sports.

If they could do it there - they can do it here.

The parking lot can be made to look swell. It can be landscaped, fenced and treed. "A parking lot can be beautiful," said John Collins.

While doing that, the town can landscape the Firemen's Field parking lot to make it attract drivers. We have mentioned the idea to Joe Barnao, some time ago and he said it wouldn't hurt the St. Rocco's Feast.

The parking lot behind Townsend Square needs to have the parking stalls redesigned to create more parking. The town had a plan to fix the lot behind town hall to create more spaces. Then the town can make a connected lot out of the small lots behind stores on West Main Street, where Verrelli's and Dr. Santelli's parking lots are. That would increase the parking.

So that's the story. Letters to the editor are welcome. What do you want to see happen in Oyster Bay? - DFK