In his annual State of the Village message to local residents, East Hills Mayor Michael R. Koblenz stated that the purchase of the Air National Guard property by the village is in its final stages. The village is only waiting for final approval by a Congressional committee in Washington. Mayor Koblenz and the BOT expect the village to close on the property "as soon as possible thereafter; but at some point during the year."

The mayor added that when approval is given "in just a matter of months," the village will "own and control the development of the only remaining large open tract of land" in East Hills, which he called "one of the most picturesque and attractive parcels of land anywhere on Long Island."

The village plans to sell the present Village Hall property on Town Path for residential development. The proceeds from that sale, Mayor Koblenz said, would be sufficient to offset all the costs to purchase the property. The village also plans to use the possible sale of vacant property on Tara Drive as a way to pay for the sale of land.

According to the mayor, the development of a "Village Park" would take place in two phases. Phase I would involve construction of athletic fields, basketball courts, a playground for toddlers, and walking trails. Phase II would include the building of such facilities as a swimming pool and modern health club. The entire park, the mayor said, would be open only to East Hills residents with identification cards. To defray the costs of such facilities and to finance the development, the village will propose the issuance of bonds, a proposal that would have to be approved by village voters. Mayor Koblenz further claims that East Hill's bond rating is currently strong enough to make all financial obligations affordable to the village.

In addition to recreational amenities, the park will include a number of usable inherited buildings which would allow the village to relocate its Village Hall, Village Court and Department of Public Works/Highway Department facilities to the new site. "When the park is completed," Mayor Koblenz added, "real estate professionals project that the value of our homes will be significantly enhanced from the development of a 52-acre state park and the availability of the facilities being considered."

When the BOT voted to authorize the village to enter into a contract with the U.S. Department of the Air Force for the purchase of National Guard property, that body was determined to ensure that the property would not be converted "to a use inconsistent with the nature of our community," as Mayor Koblenz stated. This would include such uses as a postal facility, a drug rehabilitation facility and a "crowded" homeless housing complex.

In other news, the village's Commission for the Conservation of the Environment is working on an addition to the village code which would both prevent the "random destruction" of old trees in East Hills, while at the same time "fully considering" the rights of residents and homeowners to do work on their own property that may involve tree work.

On the financial front, the village claimed it had saved up to $434,000 in the last fiscal year through various efforts. They included saving an estimated $100,000 by having the sanitation program provided by village employees instead of outside contractors and receiving $30,000 in a state grant for installation of school-zone flashing lights near Roslyn Middle School and over $300,000, also from the state for road resurfacing.