NorthWest Civic

Association UpDate On-Line

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A Winter Pick-Me-Up for Hicksville

Thanks to some nice weather, beautification committee volunteers turned out on Saturday, January 8 to pick up papers at Fountain and Kennedy Parks.  Our appreciation goes to Dolores Sartor, Charlotte Krumm, Jane Grella, Marian McNamara and Linda and Dale Bennett.  They were joined by past Chamber of Commerce President Pat Conway and her husband John.  Approximately 200 pounds of debris was removed.

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Refreshments

Thanks to Jane Grella and Linda Bennett for the January refreshments and to Dorothy Shenocka for setting up.  If you haven't signed up for Hospitality 2000, please see Linda at the next meeting.

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Newsletter Items

Please feel free to furnish Dale and Linda Bennett with items that you feel are appropriate for the newsletter.  We would like to report events that effect our members, but can not publish what we don't know. email: DBenn@Prodigy.Net

Fairhaven Garden Center

Fairhaven Garden Center and Florist Shop is going out of business.  We have been informed that the property has been sold to Chase Manhattan Bank.

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In Sympathy

John and Rae Campolettano's daughter in law, Jacquelyn Campolettano recently passed away.  Our sympathies are extended to the Campolettano family.

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From the President

I would like to thank everyone who contributed in November and December to help less fortunate "Northwest" families enjoy the holidays.  We knew, from past experience, that we could count on the members to share with others.  Little did we know that members efforts would result in several families being helped instead of just the one we mentioned in the December newsletter.

Almost everyone brought canned goods, presents and other non-perishable items to the November and December meetings.  Some members did even more and at the risk of leaving some one out I'm going to list names.  John Russo solicited donations from businesses.  Pathmark gave a gift certificate.  John Romanelli of Waldbaums arranged for three turkeys.    Mrs. Viola Rogo made a generous cash donation.  Millie Jones took the items home, stored them, received more donations while they were there and then delivered them to the nurse at Burns Avenue.  In the meantime Dolores Sartor was delivering bread to the Interfaith Nutrition Network kitchen and found out that they often have an excess of food on Fridays.  Soon she was not only toting donations of bread to the INN but she was also toting food from the INN to Nurse Weintraub to distribute to the needy families and this was done in the name of the Civic Association.  I hope you're as proud of everyone as I am.

Dale Bennett

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F  Fundraising Activities  E

The membership approved several fundraising projects for 2000 at the January meeting.  The "Night on the Town" raffle will be repeated with the prize-winner's name to be drawn at the summer picnic.  We also expect to have a table at John Russo's garage sale on Labor Day weekend.  We will be looking for donations of new items, so save those holiday gifts you received but don't know what to do with.

A Civic Booster Club was also approved:

TOB Scoping Session

Several dozen residents of the Northwest and Duffy Park sections of Hicksville attended a scoping session at Oyster Bay Town Hall on the evening of Wednesday, January 5.  The meeting gave residents an opportunity to submit issues that they felt should be addressed by an Environmental Impact Statement, which is to be prepared as part of the Twin County application being reviewed by TOB.  The preliminary scoping document lists potential impacts including effects on traffic, air quality, possible groundwater contamination, water quality, noise and compatibility of the proposed uses with existing uses.

Dale Bennett, stated his concerns about potential negative impacts involving the applicants' proposals to close one plant and build a new larger facility at the Engel Street location.  The Environmental Impact Statement must fully recognize the use change at the Engel Street site.  This plant has been seldom used for a number of years and the environmental change at this location would be tremendous.  The change would bring all of the asphalt production from the present Twin County plant to within a few dozen feet of many residents' homes and the nearby Burns Avenue School.  Residents would be living not just near, but now on top of an industrial facility in full operation with all that goes with it:   tplant noise    tplant security lighting   tstack emissions   tfugitive emissions    ttruck traffic starting and stopping with resulting noise and diesel emissions.

Greg Yatzyshyn commented on issues relating to emissions, restrictive covenants and zoning.  He pointed out that in addition to stack emissions, the environmental statement should elaborate on the fugitive emissions created when asphalt is loaded into trucks He quoted the Town of Oyster Bay's consultant, Cashin Associates, on one zoning issue relating to Twin Counties' application.  "The proposal to site the new asphalt plant in closest proximity to neighboring residential uses, while placing the assisted living and golden age housing facilities in a more central location within the H Industrial District, appears to contravene basic land use planning criteria and guidelines.  Normally, it is preferable for industrial uses to be segregated from residential uses to the greatest extent possible, while assisted living and senior housing facilities are the types of uses that can provide and effective transition between residential neighborhoods and more intense uses."

Residents also commented on traffic conditions on West John Street citing concerns of additional truck activity near residences and the Post Office.  There have been at least two fatalities in this area in the last three months.  Requests were made for additional traffic intersections to be added to the scoping document for study.

The surprise of the evening came from the Duffy Park Civic Association.  A pin could have been heard to drop when President, Dave Staton submitted photos of the Twin County site with what appeared to be storage drums and barrels leaking unknown substances onto the asphalt plant grounds.

The NorthWest Civic Association also submitted approximately two dozen documents that were compiled from civic members and the community. Both civic associations feel it is essential that every potential negative environmental impact be identified for review and mitigation.  Other groups and individuals still have 30 days from the January 5^th scoping session date to submit their own written comments to Karl J. Leupold, P.E., Chairman, Town Environmental Quality Review Commission, 150 Miller Place, Syosset, NY 11791.

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