The city of Glen Cove, the Village of Sea Cliff and the North Shore Environmental Alliance (NSEA) have all signed a Memorandum of Understanding concerning ferry operations from Glen Cove to New London, CT. A purpose of the ferry is to transport people to the Foxwoods Casino. The memorandum states that Glen Cove will do a full environmental impact study on the ferry operations; the city will limit the potential number of ferry trips to New London; locate the permanent ferry terminal and parking lot to the back of Glen Cove Creek, and reduce the size of the overall development from 1.2 million square feet to 700,000 square feet.

Mayors in the Roslyn area have expressed interest in such developments. Roslyn Harbor has members in the NSEA and Mayor Gerson Strassberg has served as the liaison for local villages when the matter has being decided. Mayor Strassberg has publicly stated his opposition to the ferry, claiming that it would not only bring in unwanted traffic to Roslyn Harbor, but also the wrong kind of traffic. The mayor has long worried about alcoholic beverage service on the bus service that will carry passengers from the ferry to the casino and back. Consequently, what the mayor fears the most is a "bunch of drunken drivers careening around" Roslyn Harbor. Mayor Strassberg is also concerned that if the Glen Cove ferry is successful, there may be pressure to construct another such ferry in Glenwood Landing.

The memorandum also gives recognition to the planned start of a water-borne commuter service between Glen Cove to implement the understanding and to serve on a newly formed Glen Cove Creek Redevelopment Commission designed to allow cooperation and input as the project goes forward.

"The North Shore Environmental Alliance is very pleased with the understanding," said Dan Maddock, co-president of the Alliance. "We applaud Glen Cove Mayor Tom Suozzi's statesmanship and his goodwill in considering the concerns of his neighbors in the surrounding communities and incorporating these concerns into the revitalization program."

Mr. Maddock also praised Sea Cliff Mayor Claudia Moyne for "steadfastly protecting the interests of the village and the area." He added that the Alliance is happy to have all lawsuits out of the way so that both sides can work together to achieve something that is in the best interests of Glen Cove and its neighboring villages.

"Conducting a full environmental impact study of the ferry operations along with other aspects of the revitalization project will help allay our environmental fears," Mr. Maddock concluded. "Limiting the potential ferry runs to New London and reducing the overall size of development will ease traffic concerns. Moving the permanent parking facility and ferry terminal to the back of the Creek will improve the openness and pleasantness of the shoreline area. This is a great step forward and Mayor Suozzi deserves a lot of credit for taking the initiative to meet his neighbors half way."

Mayor Suozzi has defended the ferry by saying its operations would help to fund a $6 million cleanup of the Glen Cove waterfront, a problem that the mayor has called a "common enemy" for residents in Roslyn Harbor, Glen Head, Glen Cove, and Sea Cliff. The money for the cleanup has already been borrowed, what is needed is a way to pay it back. Mayor Strassberg has applauded his fellow mayor's motives, but has also said money from ferry operations represents "money from the wrong place, raised the wrong way." Mayor Strassberg has admitted that he didn't know how the money for such a cleanup could be raised.

In addition to Glen Cove, Sea Cliff, and Roslyn Harbor, other NSEA members are from Glen Head, Glenwood Landing, and the Brookvilles.