Another Roslyn-area business recovering from a major fire is Baron Nissan on Glen Cove Road in Roslyn Harbor. On Jan. 1, 2000, the unofficial date of the new millennium, the dealership was devastated by a fire that destroyed the entire building. Baron Nissan executives spent the next six months dealing with insurance policies and renovation plans. Finally, in December 2000, nearly one year after the fire, the car dealership was back on its feet, open again for business.

Baron Nissan is currently finishing up another construction project. Some Roslyn Harbor residents have expressed their unhappiness with the ongoing project. They say that a large sign from the exterior of the building has been taken off the wall and placed on crater blocks on the auto dealership's lot. The sign, residents say, has been vandalized and is an eyesore to the neighborhood. Some residents have also complained that cars from the Nissan lot are lined up at the Greenvale Long Island Rail Road station. The dealership, they claim, is using public property for private good.

For his part, Brian Chabrier, manager of Baron Nissan said that his dealership rents the car space from the Village of Roslyn Harbor and pays a substantial monthly fee to the village to use those spaces. As far as the current construction job is concerned, Mr. Chabrier added that Baron is at the "tail end" of the project. He said that the dealership hopes to finish up shortly, even though he could give no exact timetable.

According to Village of Roslyn Harbor officials, the large sign itself is in compliance with village laws. Still, village officials hope that the Nissan people pick it up and finish the construction project shortly. When the project is done, the exterior of the building will be back to its original condition. Any future changes sought by Nissan will need Planning Board approval.