A discussion about whether to build an elevator in the Village Hall building continues to bring some publicity to the Village of Roslyn. At a January public meeting, advocates for disabled people spoke out in favor of such an elevator, one that is also supported by Mayor Janet Galante. Attempts to get a vote on funding such an elevator went nowhere, but those same advocates are promising to show up at the board of trustee's Tuesday, April 3 informational meeting. Robert Schoenfeld of East Meadow, a member of Disabled in Action of Metropolitan New York, has hinted that if nothing is done at the April meeting, then legal action against the village may be in the offing. It is not known if the elevator issue will be taken up at that meeting.

Mr. Schoenfeld said that he hopes to bring local people to the next meeting, residents not just of Roslyn, but also of Roslyn Heights and East Hills. He hopes also to get letters of support for an elevator from Assemblyman Thomas DiNapoli, County Legislator Craig Johnson, and U.S. Rep. Gary Ackerman.

For now, Mr. Schoenfeld's organization and other similar groups are trying to apply pressure to the village without resorting to legal means. He said the purpose of the January meeting was simply to tell board of trustee members what the state and federal laws are concerning rules for the disabled. Mr. Schoenfeld said the village is in violation of the federal Americans With Disabilities Act and New York state building codes. In fact, the village, he claims, has been in violation of the federal law all throughout the village hall's existence. The building held its first meeting in the winter of 1995.

"We are talking about legal action if we don't see results by April," he said.

Mr. Schoenfeld hinted that the village, if found in violation of federal laws, may have to give back all community development grants it has received since 1995. "We know we can't lose the suit," he added, speaking of any legal action that may be taken against the village.

Such legal action, he continued, will also come at a tremendous cost to village taxpayers. Building an elevator may cost the village money, but legal actions will cost the village even more money, Mr. Schoenfeld said. He added that "hundreds of people," not just in Roslyn, but also in Nassau and Suffolk counties, and New York City, are aware of the situation in Roslyn.

"We want to be relatively nice," Mr. Schoenfeld said of the groups now taking an interest of what is happening at the village hall. "If we wanted to be bad, we would have already done a lawsuit."

As noted, Mayor Galante, who is in the final month of her administration, supports the elevator. At the January meeting, the mayor also cited the ADA as a reason for building the elevator. She also claimed the village has the necessary funds right now to construct such a structure in the village hall. Specifically, the money, the mayor said, is available from a Community Development Agency grant, one worth $114,000 to $116,000.

Mayor Galante said the BOT has long looked into the idea of building a chair lift in the village hall, but decided that it couldn't work, due mainly to the design of the building. The grant, the mayor said, was originally for such a chair lift. Although she is not sure the village is in violation of the ADA law or not, the mayor contended that building an elevator is the right thing to do. "The building should be handicapped accessible," she said.

Another board of trustee member, Marshall Bernstein, said he couldn't speak for his colleagues, but he did say that the BOT would, in coming meetings, take up the matter in a "careful, deliberate way," and then "take action that is deemed appropriate under the law and in accordance with the fiduciary obligations to all our residents." As with Mayor Galante, Trustee Bernstein could not confirm the village's legal standing regarding the elevator issue.