As we enter the New Year, the Plainview-Old Bethpage community will be facing our largest challenge ever, the fight to preserve the real "Old Plainview" as we have come to know and love it.

Renaissance Properties/Plainview Properties proposal for "Old Plainview" is only second in magnitude to Charles Wang's proposal for the redevelopment of the Nassau County Hub.

In an era of environmental conservation, it is critical that we come together as a community to implore upon the Town Board to stand by their environmental record and deny the applicant a change in zone and waiver of covenants and restrictions that ran with the sale of the land. The town has the authority to enforce reasonable, environmentally friendly use of the property within the current zoning, particularly as the property has already been down-zoned from 2-acre residential use.

When you open your new calendars to January 2007, please make sure to mark off Tuesday, Jan. 23, to attend the Town Board hearing. It is critical that every resident include their voices in this public process.

In the meantime, please continue to send comments and concerns to the Town Board through their website at: www.oysterbaytown.com or reach them by phone at 624-6350. The town always welcomes and depends upon resident input to do the right thing. For more information or to help, you can always contact us at: ccpobc1@aol.com.

We thank you for your continued support and extend our warmest wishes to each and every resident for a happy, healthy and prosperous New Year.

Best regards,
Carol Meschkow
President Concerned Citizens of the Plainview-Old Bethpage Community, Inc. and Neighbor-to-Neighbor Watch Program