NorthWest Civic

Association UpDate On-Line

November Meeting

The next meeting of the NorthWest Civic Association will be held on Wednesday, November 8 at 7:30 PM at the Burns Avenue School. Our guest speaker will be Edward Arredondo, Development Manager of Arredondo and Co. of Stamford, CT. Mr. Arredondo will speak on the company’s proposed Westy Storage Center on West John Street. A copy of their landscape plan and an illustration of the building in perspective will be available for examination before the meeting.

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Thanksgiving

As is our tradition, we plan to adopt families in our neighborhood who are less fortunate. This year we are adopting two families and will collect non-perishable items, canned goods and paper products at the November meeting. If you can’t make it to the meeting and want to donate something, please contact Millie Jones to arrange to drop it off. The membership has always been generous and we know we can count on you to help make this holiday a happy one!

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Election of Officers

The election of officers for the executive board will be held at the November meeting. Enclosed with this newsletter is a ballot for nominated officers and for write-ins if desired. For those attending, ballots will be accepted at the door when you sign in.

Mailed ballots must be received by 4 PM, November 8, 1999 at our P.O. Box. You must be a member in good standing to vote.

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F Caught Doing Good E

Participating in the effort to create a better Hicksville, the residents of Schiller Street have banded together and are recycling to purchase a brick in Fountain Park. Christine Kelly, daughter of member Cathy Eagan, has recycled $27 worth of cans and bottles as part of a community service project for confirmation. Michelle (age 4) and Jessica (age 3), daughters of members Tommy and Irene Carlomusto recently recycled bottles found on the playground at Burns Avenue School. It is rewarding to see the youth of our area taking pride in their community. We encourage other streets to recycle and use the proceeds to honor their neighborhood.

Members of the NorthWest Civic can contact Linda Bennett, Beautification Committee Chair, for additional information or brick applications.

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Thanks to Tony and Emily Sorvillo, Charlotte Krumm, Irene Carlomusto and Jane Grella for refreshments at the October meeting.

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From the President ~ West John Developments

Arredondo and Company have applied to the Town of Oyster Bay for a special use permit to erect a four story Westy Storage Center. The proposed site is at the southwest corner of West John and Wycoff Street, where the Gillison Factory presently stands. The property is zoned G-2 Business which permits 5 story/60 foot high office buildings such as the Chase Bank building on Newbridge Road, just south of the LIRR station.

Recently several civic board members were able to tour the Westy facility at the corner of Route 110 and Executive Boulevard in Farmingdale. We were impressed with the building, the landscape and the tone of the operation. This is definitely an upscale storage business. We are, however, startled at the thought of a four story building along West John. Do we want more structures the height of the post office on this street?

Within the last year, proposed developments along West John Street have included a Home Depot (or like facility), a day care center, an expanded asphalt plant, S-2 senior housing, an extended care facility, changes at the Petro truck yard and rumored demolition of the Beech Russ building with eventual property use to be determined. Some of these proposals are of grave concern to us. Others are welcomed with open arms. What is very clear is that there is no master plan in place to guide development in this area, or for that matter, the whole of Hicksville or the Town of Oyster Bay. Lets face it, an asphalt plant doesn’t belong in our neighborhood and there’s no way that placing senior housing and a day care center nearby can be considered intelligent land use planning. It’s courting further disaster.

There are a number of properties along West John Street that are underutilized relative to their value. We can expect more proposals and applications for property development. I for one, hope it won’t take a downturn in the economy to control this. Our elected officials should engage in producing a plan that can guide development for the future and give strength, rationale and consistency to town board decisions.

Dale Bennett

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þ A Reminder

Election Day is Tuesday, November 7^th. Voting is from 6 AM to 9 PM at the Burns Avenue School. Remember, every vote counts.

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Environmentally Safe?

Over the years there have been many buildings demolished to make way for new development in Hicksville. Leaking oil tanks and other environmentally unfriendly chemicals and substances may not have been addressed during demolition. A number of these structures, given their age, probably contained asbestos, as it was used as pipe insulation and in some cases regular insulation. It was used for soundproofing in movie houses.

The Town does not oversee environmentally sensitive issues in their permits to demolish. The applicant must secure contractors to remove asbestos and contamination that is present. I am not very comfortable leaving this responsibility to some of the building owners. I feel the Town, in their permit to demolish, should require an environmental study to determine if any abatement is necessary, approve the contractors, and oversee the process. This will ensure that the job is done correctly and any neighbors, residents or businesses, can be assured their health and safety has not been compromised. This may require additional training for Town inspectors, but it is a small price to pay to protect all of us.

Now we are aware of the health issues surrounding chemicals that were used years ago to do all types of projects from automobile repair, to painting, refinishing furniture and the list goes on. The "STOP" program of the Town of Oyster Bay affords us an opportunity to clean out our basements and garages and dispose of these chemicals in a safe manner. Better yet, read the labels and avoid using environmentally harmful products.

We all must get involved. If you see something suspicious, call the Town of Oyster Bay, Department of Planning and Development [624-6200] or Nassau County Department of Health General Information [571-3410]. We are their eyes and ears. Do something, make a difference.

Greg Yatzyshyn, Chair, Health & Safety Committee

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Mark Your Calendar Now

The annual Holiday Party will be held Monday, December 4, at the Burns Avenue School and will start at 7 p.m., one half hour earlier than usual. Mark your calendar now and plan on bringing the kids. The business meeting will be kept to a minimum. It’s the holiday season and time to relax and party. John Russo is planning the event. Look for more details on the festivities in the December newsletter.

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Booster Club Roster

Thanks to all of our boosters for supporting the Civic: