The Theodore Roosevelt Museum Community Advisory Team (TRMCAT) members announced that they are available to attend community meetings to listen to and work with your group. They can be contacted via email at trmcat@gmail.com

"The Theodore Roosevelt Association's proposal for the Presidential Museum and Research Center at Fireman's Field has brought lots of interest from various parts of the Oyster Bay community. Our group, the Theodore Roosevelt Museum Community Advisory Team (TRMCAT) was organized to help facilitate dialogue regarding the proposal. TRMCAT is committed to working with the community to ensure information about the museum is responsible and accurate," said Bill Burke, TRMCAT co-chair.

"We believe that a majority of our neighbors, like ourselves, are open to giving serious consideration to the T.R. Museum proposal, and know concerns exist. Our primary purpose is to listen to your concerns and help move the process toward mutually acceptable solutions.

"Since late July 2008, TRMCAT members have attended numerous civic, town and association meetings. At our initial meetings with the TRA, we were provided the opportunity to voice perspectives given by the community. Site and design plans were reviewed and community recommendations for a smaller building and other suggestions have been implemented. The recent Newsday article illustrates other improvements made by the TRA.

"The changes are promising and the community's perspectives are still being addressed. We have defined three volunteer-led committees thus far to focus on key areas: (1) Site/Design, (2) Parking/Traffic, and (3) Community Outreach," said Mr. Burke.

He explained, "Our mission is to represent the needs of the community in finding the most effective, environmentally responsible approach to bringing a Presidential Museum and Research Center honoring Theodore Roosevelt to Fireman's Field. We will work with the Theodore Roosevelt Association, the community and other entities to build consensus and find solutions to the issues surrounding this opportunity.

"Our goal is to be objective, visionary, committed and non-political. We believe that a majority of our neighbors, like ourselves, are open to the T.R. Museum proposal, and know concerns exist. Our primary purpose is to listen to your concerns and help move the process towards mutually acceptable solutions. TRMCAT believes this project creates a real opportunity for revitalization and Smart Growth," said Mr. Burke.

Mr. Burke said in a telephone interview that they have asked the TRA to get the preliminary work done for the proposal. "We have told them they have to do every engineering and environmental study before they decide to build. We are telling them, it is one of the concerns of the community. If they can't do that, it's not going to be built."

Mr. Burke said, "We see our basic task as being a sounding board. We are going to meetings and tell him [Mr. Bruns] what the concerns are. When we saw the first rendition of the museum, we said, 'There is no way this would fly.' What surprised us was how well he listened to us and gave us a second draft." Initially the plan had been to use windmill turbines to generate electricity for the building. They were positioned on the second floor and would have diminished the views of the harbor, he explained, therefore they rejected it. He said the benefit [in terms of making it an LEED building] was not worth it to justify making it ugly and blocking the view."

When asked if the auditorium and theater areas aren't a duplication, he said Mr. Bruns explained it would give them the ability to have different venues for events, such as a cocktail party or book signing, and having an event upstairs overlooking the deck. "We are going to try to talk about things when we get feedback from the public. They are just sketches and we and the people will expect a lot more details. We see it as a work in progress.

"We are not concerned about the cost. We are looking to see it done in an aesthetic and as attractive a way as possible. We have a standard they have to meet. It's up to them to meet it - like the turbines on the roof in the first rendition. It would have blocked the view of the bay from the park on top of the roof. By elevating that area you can look at the bay with an unobstructed view - at least on paper. It kind of makes sense not to block the view.

Mr. Burke answered another question saying the parking for commuters along the LIRR is still there in the plan, but inside the museum parking lot. He said, "We are going to send out another press release with the major concerns of the community.

"The group has been looking at the four or five major concerns and we will say to the TRA and the town, as a group of citizens representing the community: this is what we expect and the ball is in their court. If it can't be done - these are our expectations and see where it will go. They will do the studies. That includes a place for the firemen and reasonable parking for others and if they can do that we have done the best we can, to do something good for the community. So the next step is to let people know the questions we have been asking. If they aren't the right questions tell us what we should ask," he said. "Then there are some other recommendations of community concerns that are not necessarily our mission, but we'll say - these are other items the community is concerned with." He said there are things they can't impact but he thought the local civic groups could get on top of them and they will have an influence.

Mr. Burke said, "I feel that this project proposal if approved is going to have a ripple effect. Things will start to happen for the positive that wouldn't take place without it. For instance, the traffic studies are not taken as seriously as they should and this will force the state to take a better look at the traffic needs that they wouldn't be willing to otherwise.

"We are 14 people, if we can get other groups involved we can get a greater groundswell for the community. If people are concerned - get in touch with us.

"We are trying to get some type of community based response. We are trying as best we can to work as a filter and ask the right questions and to demand the right expectations for the community. I know we won't please everyone but the bulk of the community, we hope will feel that we did the right things," said Mr. Burke.

Mr. Burke said his aims were altruistic saying, while he owns a home here, he is not running for office and just wants to make this the best thing it can be. "Otherwise, why bother wasting my time," he said.

He saw a positive effect when they criticized the first plans of the TRA that they felt would virtually not be liked by anyone in the community. He said they made recommendations for the entrances, the height of the building and to have something consistent with architecture and heritage of Oyster Bay. "They took it to heart. It was encouraging to us. People have been encouraging us and the TRA looks at us as an acceptable and honest group of people and as a partner with credibility with them.

"We want to say everything accurately and want the community to know we are being serious; that we have had an input and that there are other things we see in our immediate focus. If we wait until the plan is finally approved, there will be no momentum to get the town and state on board. No one can say we don't need something to move the town. This alone will not save the town in my opinion but it will be an impetus to get the other players and stakeholders to move.

"One of the good things we see is they have gotten the people in town to talk to each other. We are neighbors. This is not about being opponents. They are my neighbors and may have different points of view. It gets us to talk to each other and can get us to do something positive. The worst thing we can do is nothing. We have been promised for years and years that this will be a better place to live if we don't take an aggressive stand, it will be on their terms and not on our terms.

"This is one of the voices of the town to say we are in charge of our own destiny, not to say no to everything, not to build anything in Oyster Bay, but have something consistent to what is here. If they do the engineering study and can't build it there environmentally or structurally right - they will have to get over that problem," he said.

Mr. Burke was pleased that the plan has been reduced in size from 100,000 square feet to 70,000 square feet. "I think it will be such a benefit to the town. I made one of the suggestions, that it give the sense of not leaving town and going to the museum but that it is a natural progression to the waterfront. A building that has ins and outs and gives you a sense of moving to an old part of town that has been there for a while. I think the size and keeping that park on top for recreation is going to improve the area.

"Now it is a polluting parking lot. One of the things they pointed out is how bad, from the viewpoint of an environmental disaster the parking lot is and that it is an affront to the community," he said.

Mr. Burke added, "I'm trying to be as honest and open as I can. It's a good bunch of people. A bunch of volunteers trying to do the best thing we can and to keep it as transparent as we can. Tell us the questions you want answered and we will ask them."

The members of TRMCAT are: Chris Bellerjeau, IT professional with the Columbia University Business School; John Bonifacio, educator and Oyster Bay Main Street Association board member; Michele Browner, administrator/director of Nursing at Harbor House Assisted Living and Oyster Bay Chamber of Commerce, secretary; Bill Burke, retired teacher, administrator, and principal in the New York City Public School system; Peter Casparian, rector of Christ Church in Oyster Bay; Helen Crosson, Cold Spring Harbor Library and Environmental Center director; Jamie T. Deming, The WaterFront Center board member; Ralph Fumante, entertainment industry professional and Theodore Roosevelt Sanctuary & Audubon Center, president; Alex Gallego, owner of Stifel Nicolaus, and Oyster Bay Chamber of Commerce president; Walter Imperatore, senior vicepresident of Renaissance Property Associates which manages over 70 properties in the hamlet on behalf of Island Properties; Ellen Roche, a professional architect and Oyster Bay Main Street Association vice president; Bill Sheeline, an investment manager and Oyster Bay Main Street Association president; Irwin Tantleff, past operator of Foodtown in the hamlet, adjunct teacher at NYU, and board member of several Long Island and Oyster Bay organizations; and Bill Von Novak, retired educator and administrator and Oyster Bay Civic Association president.