The Oyster Bay Civic Association is taking a breather. Its next meeting will be for members only.

Following hosting an open forum on the Hallock property on Feb. 23, the next scheduled meeting of the association will be held on Thursday evening, March 16 at 7:30 p.m. at the Italian-American Club on Summit Street in Oyster Bay. This will be a closed meeting, open only to members of the OBCA.

Tim Archdeacon, president of the Oyster Bay Civic Association said the reason for the closed meeting is that "We've had so many public forums, we need a pause to look introspectively and get our feet on the ground and then look forward to what we will do next.

"We need some time to ourserlves, as an organization. It won't be a common occurence, but every once in a while, we need to regroup," he said.

The agenda will focus on two items with a view to voting, by secret ballot, for a position of the OBCA relative to Robbie Hallock's application for a special use permit to have an assisted living facility erected on the site. Also to be voted on, by secret ballot, is the request for support by Commodore Ross of the Sagamore Rowing Association for a site on Beekman Beach, which, if granted, would allow the SRA to build its own permanent facility there.

At the recent forum, NYS Senator Carl Marcellino was clear in his opinion that the boathouse shouldn't be on the property. "I think they should go where we put them in the plan. The community accepted that when they accepted the plan. We can expand the building to twice its size to meet their needs," he said.

Town Clerk Martha Offerman looked into the town records to check the original Beekman deed which calls for a "passive park," and believed it showed the boathouse would not be an allowed use.

Only voting members, i.e., people who reside in the hamlet of Oyster Bay, of OBCA will be permitted to cast ballots. Votes will be counted by two members of OBCA's Executive Board the same evening and the results will be made known to members at the meeting.

Subsequent to the meeting, the town board will be notified of the position that the OBCA has taken on these two questions.

The Oyster Bay Civic Association strives to be the voice of the residents of the hamlet of Oyster Bay for the benefit of the hamlet. New members are welcome. Annual dues are $20 for each individual; voting privileges are restricted to residents of the hamlet. OBCA generally meets on the third Thursday of the month. Marie Knight (922-4186) is the vice president and membership chair of the organization. Contact Marie for an application for membership.