NYS Senator Carl Marcellino told members of the Oyster Bay Chamber of Commerce that the state will take over the responsibilities of ownership for the former Oyster Bay Power and Light Company. The Long Island Power Authority (LIPA) is in favor of the deal. The senator has been strongly involved with the Western Waterfront from the first $5 million he managed to get from the state which combined with funds from the town, acquired the Jakobson Shipyard.

The power plant is located on the stream that runs between the Mill Pond and Beekman Beach and then into Oyster Bay Harbor. The proposal has several suggestions that will be beneficial to the harbor.

"We have a need to take care of the outflow from the Mill Pond into Beekman Beach. It's the result of a couple of hundred years of 'pooping' ducks. How is that going to look in the newpaper?" Marcellino asked.

What is important is that the water flow from the Mill Pond is the major source of bacteria that contributes to the beach closures at Beekman Beach and some of the shellfish harvesting restrictions for that area.

Most importantly, they want to make the harbor even cleaner than it is today.

The senator said they need only about half the LIPA building to house the equipment to filter the water. "They found a species of trout that lives in the area between the pond and the bay. We don't know how they got there. They are rare and small and we want to be sure to protect them. There is a 15 feet drop between the pond and the beach so we will provide a fish ladder for the interaction between pond and sea fish (for those that live in the sea and return to fresh water to spawn)." These concepts are still proposals, Marcellino said, including a suggested walkway to Beekman Beach, that would go under the small railroad bridge.

"The Main Street Association had wanted the building. We need only about one side of the building, so the MSA can use the other side. They can be a user of the facility like other groups at the waterfront," the senator said.

Bids have already gone out for two buildings on the western waterfront, so things are moving along. He said they have been having regular meetings with the user groups that use the Western Waterfront. "So far we have resolved all the problems with cooperation."

The cleanup of the Jakobson Shipyard's old tin buildings from the site, has already benefited the neighborhood: "It has created a waterfront view for the smaller homes in that area," Marcellino said.

The Western Waterfront plans call for the closing of the Bay Avenue railroad crossing, which will reduce traffic on that street, he said. It will allow pedestrian access from Bay Avenue to the waterfront area.

Regular traffic to the Western Waterfront will go through the Theodore Roosevelt parking lot area, by taking a left turn after crossing the railroad tracks at Larrabee Avenue.

The senator was pleased with what happened during the Oyster Festival. He convinced the project managers that six months work could be done in 45 days to ready the pier, and they did, he said. They had activities on the pier during the festival and he added: "Wouldn't it be nice to see children fishing from the pier."

He hopes to get additional funding from the Environmental Protection Fund to make more improvements to the pier.

"The best part of the Oyster Festival was the jitney from Belmont Park that was used to bring people from the TR park to the waterfront. That is something I have been proposing since I was town clerk," he said.

He is developing a program in Huntington to get funding for a jitney or trolley in conjunction with their chamber of commerce.

It would be a great idea in Oyster Bay, he said. "Then when someone comes by boat they can get to town by bus or trolley and get off, knowing the bus will take them back to their boats. Then they can go to Raynham Hall and be scared by the ghosts, visit Wightman House and enjoy the restaurants. It would be nice for the town."

The jitney would also benefit the frail and elderly, he said. They could use it to get to Doubleday Babcock Senior Center.

"I see it as a positive," said Senator Marcellino.

The senator had an idea for the Oyster Bay LIRR line. He said that the north shore line is not fully used. "People complain about lack of parking at the Hicksville and Syosset stations. I helped to stop the closing of the Glen Head station where there were a couple of hundred commuters, but couldn't save the Mill Neck station. There weren't enough riders.

"The Oyster Bay line is slow, it needs a change. If they get a bimodal train that can be used on electric and non-electric tracks they could go all the way to New York City without changing trains. Then those local residents who go to Syosset and Hicksville could come here.

"It would relieve traffic congestion and it would use an underutilitzed rail line."

Oyster Bay Chamber Vice President John Specce suggested a 7:30 a.m. express like the one-stop line from Hicksville. If it was a one hour ride instead of an hour and a half - that would be great, he said.

The senator said the LIRR says "Show us the ridership." "Do it for six months and see if it pays. It would be a win, win situation all the way. We could use the chamber's help to get it done. It's a good idea. We just have to get the powers that be to spend the money," said Marcellino.

The current situation has commuters traveling on trains with no seating, no parking and accepting parking tickets as part of the trip to get into the city to work.

"We are ready to work with the chamber," he added.

He suggested, to get the LIRR to come down and talk to the chamber about a better Oyster Bay railroad.

He added that it would help the horrific traffic on the LIE.

The senator said the biggest legislative issue presently is brownfields. They are old sites, such as abandoned gas stations or industrial sites that need cleanup. No one wants to buy them. The 1996 Environmental Bond Act proves funds for brownfield cleanup, but the problem is that banks don't want to lend money for the cleanups because they are seen as deep bottomless pits, he said.

"People say the cleanup standards are too high," he said, "that is not true. There are no cleanup standards in NYS. They are decided on an ad hoc basis. They are negotiated between the developer, the state and the DEC. How much money is available determines how clean the site will be. We are not watering down the standards, we are trying to establish standards," he said.

"Look at the New Jersey shore. They have huge amounts of construction going on in brownfields. New Jersey has a brownfield program to protect human health. The clean up is paid by the polluter. The bank knows how much they have to lend."

He was concerned with the difference between New Jersey's fate and Long Island's fate after the September 11 attack. While New Jersey has been getting businesses relocating there, he said "There is not a single business rental here. New York State is losing business."

The senator said his current interest is legislation about people keeping exotic pets such as lions, tigers, bears and venemous snakes.

"There are more tigers in the USA in private hands than there are in the wild. People have even bred a lion with a tiger creating a liger, a cat that's 1,500 pounds. Zoos won't take them. They face being used as trophy hunts; for their pelts or just killed. We are getting all kinds of e-mail as a result of the legislation. We are evil because of taking away their tigers," said Marcellino.