We are going to clear our calendar for the return of Dan Burden of Walkable Communities weekend, March 14 - 15. We want to be on hand for as much of the many activities as possible. The proposal by the Theodore Roosevelt Association for a Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Museum and Research Center for a 100,000 sq. ft. museum and a 320 space parking garage at Firemen's Field is is a major change being proposed for the hamlet of Oyster Bay and we don't want to miss anything.

We are glad that the press release about Mr. Burden coming to Oyster Bay again, included that "Mr. Burden will also explore and respond to other suggestions the community proposes, such as a smaller scale TR Museum Visitors' Center at the site for people arriving by train - in the event that the TRA finds another location that is a jitney ride away from the village - or other non-museum proposals for the site that may arise."

We are glad to see there is some wiggle room for the discussion. We see a lot of areas that need questioning including the most important thing - that the results of the environmental impact studies need to be on hand to make any kind of recommendation.

Also, we hope the East Norwich Civic Association will be included in the mix since Firemen's Field is used by all the parents in the Oyster Bay-East Norwich School District. We are a united community through the school system and therefore they represent a large part of the community and should take part in the meetings.

We hope the decision of having Dan Burden, as an impartial person leading the discussions, is not just a way to stop people from questioning the issues involved. There is a momentous change being proposed for this quiet hamlet and we need to be understanding of differing points of view on the issues.

At the Feb. 5 Oyster Bay Chamber of Commerce meeting at the Matinecock Lodge, held to see if the group could come to a consensus on the museum proposal - they ended up saying they need more information.

It appears to us that after listening to people all over the community - the same position is held by residents: the museum is a great idea but can we support it as a community and in an area that is environmentally challenged to be careful of its actions as a result of its relationship to Oyster Bay Harbor's water quality issues.

In our view, both at the Oyster Bay Chamber of Commerce Feb. 5 meeting and the Oyster Bay Civic Association meeting on Jan. 17, the same position was almost always being stated by people, but with a different spin based on the personality of the speaker - that they were in favor of the museum, but not exactly as stated by Mr. Bruns, as to size, location or environmental impact.

The question here remains, as Oyster Bay Town Supervisor John Venditto said, "The devil is in the details." We need the facts before we can talk about the proposal. The question is, will they be ready and available before the Walkable Community presentation begins. - DFK