There have been many votes over the years on uses for the Alva T. Stanforth Junior High School (ATS) property, which is located on Hempstead Turnpike in Elmont. There will be another one on Tuesday as Sewanhaka School District Board of Education members will vote on whether to sell a portion of the land, which the school district owns, to the Elmont Public Library. The vote is likely to come at the next Sewanhaka Central High School District Board of Education meeting on Tuesday, Aug. 26 at Sewanhaka High School. The public session will commence at 8 p.m.

There have already been two votes concerning the plan. The Elmont Public Library board of trustees voted to approve the contract for the sale of a portion of the property from the Sewanhaka School District for the purpose of building a new library.

Then, because the Elmont Public Library is a school district library, the Elmont School District Board of Education had to approve the contract since the school district has the authority to issue tax exempt bonds to pay for the project while the library does not. The Elmont Board of Education voted unanimously to accept the contract.

Now, its up to the Sewanhaka Central High School District Board of Education. Of the eight member board (two members each from each of the component districts of Elmont, Floral Park, Franklin Square and New Hyde Park), there is expected to be at least two positive votes to accept the contract and sell a portion of the ATS property. Board members Deanna Doreson and Aubrey Phillips of Elmont have been advocates for building something that can be educationally and culturally positive for the community on the site.

"Hopefully, everything looks good. Hopefully, there won't be any problems," said Mrs. Doreson. "I really do believe truly that this will be a wonderful thing for Elmont."

If the Sewanhaka Central High School District Board of Education approves the contract, then the library board will have to develop the project.

According to Frank Marino, business manager for the Elmont Public Library, the project would entail taking down the current ATS building, except for the auditorium, the structure of which would be salvaged, and building approximately a 50,000 square foot building on the site. "That's all we know now. We don't have a budget for it because we don't have a plan," he said.

Once the Sewanhaka Board of Education approves the contract, then the Elmont Library Board would have to hire an architect and engineer to develop preliminary plans.

The contract calls for a bond referendum to take place on or before January 30, 2004. There would actually be two referendums for the plan to go forward.

Even though the Sewanhaka Board of Education may vote to sell a portion of the property to the Elmont Public Library, voters of the Sewanhaka School District would still have to approve the sale. A referendum for the sale of the property would be voted on by residents of the Elmont, Franklin Square, New Hyde Park and Floral Park school districts.

Then, residents of just the Elmont School District would vote on a referendum for the construction of the new library.

Both of those votes can take place at the same time.

If the project does come to fruition, patrons of the Elmont Library would be getting a facility that is double the space of the current facility and would be getting parking.

The current library, which is located on the south side of Hempstead Turnpike, the opposite side of the ATS property, only has parking for 20 cars. If the ATS property were used for a new library, it is estimated there would be 185 to 210 parking spots.

Residents should find out on Tuesday if the project can take the next step and actually be developed. Superintendent of Schools for the Sewanhaka High School District Dr. George Goldstein believes the board will approve the contract on Tuesday. "It will help the people of Elmont. I think it's a great thing to have community use of the facilities," he said.