The Town of North Hempstead denied an application presented to the board Jan. 4 for the construction of a 20,000 square foot addition to the Country Glen Shopping Center located on Old Country Rd. in Carle Place. The application would have allowed the applicant to construct a large building in the shopping center, which already contains 284,047 square feet of retail space.

"This is the time to send the message that our community has reached its saturation point," said Town Councilman James O'Connor. "We cannot handle any more traffic." O'Connor stated that he hoped the town's decision to deny the application would send a clear message to other municipalities -- that development along the Old Country Rd. corridor must be sensitive to traffic considerations.

"We have taken a first step in restoring our suburban quality of life in the Carle Place/Westbury community," he said. "Although we have a long way to go, through this decision, we have transmitted a loud and clear message."