Eight Civics in Sea Cliff Water District Demand Rate Hike Hearing

Exasperated by skyrocketing bills from New York American Water, the Glen Head-Glenwood Civic Council has requested that the New York State Public Service Commission require a public hearing in the Glen Head-Glenwood area concerning New York American Water’s proposal for yet another rate increase.

In addition, the Civic Council and others recently appeared before the Town of Oyster Bay Zoning Board to oppose the design of a water tower that would replace the existing tower on Dumond Place in Glen Head.

“Outreach to the community regarding the size and appearance of the replacement tower has been practically non-existent,” Civic Council President George Pombar said. The Zoning Board adjourned the matter and urged New York American Water to meet with the community.

The Sea Cliff Water District, which includes much of Glen Head and Glenwood Landing, as well as the villages of Sea Cliff and Old Brookville, is one of three jurisdictions in Nassau County served by a private water company—New York American Water in all three cases. As a business, New York American Water is taxed on water district property. “The company passes on that cost to customers,” Mr. Pombar said. “If you live in the Sea Cliff Water District, about 55 percent of your water bill is actually tax.” Residents of areas served by public water pay no such tax because, in those jurisdictions, water district property is tax exempt.

“The taxing of water district property in areas served by a for-profit water company is just one of several questionable practices that are making Sea Cliff Water District bills soar,” Mr. Pombar said. “For example, New York American Water is proposing rate and surcharge increases that will increase water bills by as much as 138 percent for some customers. And, when the company files and wins tax grievances, the recovered tax is not returned to ratepayers.”

The Civic Council, along with community groups in other areas served by New York American Water, is calling upon state, county, and town representatives, as well as the Public Service Commission, to address the situation and make it more equitable.

Comments about the proposed rate increase (Case Number 16-W-0259) may be submitted to the Public Service Commission at http://documents.dps.ny.gov/public/Comments/PublicComments.aspx?MatterCaseNo=16-w-0259.

The Civic Council is an umbrella group of eight civic associations in Glen Head and Glenwood Landing. The Public Service Commission is the state entity that regulates water service.

Last week, residents of water districts served by New York American Water gathered outside the company’s office in Merrick to protest water bills that are at least three times higher than bills in other Nassau County water districts.

 

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Community Rallies to Mitigate Tax Impact of Glenwood Landing Power Plant Decommissioning

Long Island Lighting Company President Doebler, right, with a worker at the Glenwood Landing Power Station, January 18, 1954. From the Gottscho-Schleisner Collection, courtesy of The Library of Congress.

Decommissioning of a significant amount of utility equipment, primarily in the Town of North Hempstead portion of the Glenwood Landing Waterfront, is apparently imminent, with devastating tax implications for residents of the North Shore School District.

The school district currently receives more than $14 million in taxes from utility properties.

At a meeting last August with Glen Head / Glenwood Civic Council Board Members, New York State Senator Carl Marcellino said he would introduce a bill requiring that the tax cut associated with decommissioning be phased in gradually over 10 years. The cut reduces the tax burden on the utility properties and increases it on residential properties.

Senator Marcellino introduced the bill (S5872-2011) on August 17. It was referred to the rules committee upon introduction and to the local government committee on January 4. On March 16 of this year Michele Schimel and William Boyland introduced a corresponding bill in the Assembly (A9577-2011) cosponsored by Mike Montesano, Ellen Jaffee, Andrew Raia, Peter Rivera, and Samuel Roberts; it was referred to real property taxation.

Information about the New York State Legislature, including bills under consideration, can be found at the New York State Government Locator Service.

North Shore School District Works to Reduce Tax Impact

According to the Legislative Action Committee appointed by the North Shore School District School Board, the phase-in, along with payments in lieu of taxes (PILOTs),  will help mitigate the crushing effect that an abrupt termination of of utility tax revenue would have on residents. 

The Legislative Action Committee has prepared suggested letters for North Shore School District residents to send to New York State Senators Carol Marcellino and Jack Martens and Assemblymen Charles Lavine and Mike Montesano, the state legislators who represent North Shore School District communities (Glen Head, Glenwood Landing, Sea Cliff, and part of Greenvale, Brookville, and Roslyn Harbor).

Just print the document, which contains four separate letters; sign and date each letter; insert each letter into an envelope addressed to the appropriate elected official; and mail. According to North Shore School District School Board President Carolyn Genovesi, more than 1,000 letters have been generated so far. But more are needed.

"It is imperative that state representatives hear from more constituents in the next few weeks if we want them to enact legislation that can deliver timely relief," Ms. Genovesi said in a recent email message sent to community groups. "Our state representatives are the only ones who have have the power and ability to relieve the immediate tax burden that will result from the partial decommissioning of the LIPA plant."

In March, as the first round of letters flooded the capitol, members of the school board visited Albany to make the case for the phase-in. And in January, Ms. Genovesi testified at a joint New York State Legislature Fiscal Committee budget hearing.

New Congressional District Lines for Glen Head and Glenwood Landing

Thanks to a panel of federal judges, Glen Head and Glenwood Landing have been incorporated into a compact, contiguous congressional district, still known as New York State Congressional District 3, that respects the geographic integrity and cultural history of the area.

Nassau County and Suffolk County Congressional Districts ordered by Judges Reena Raggi and Gerard E. Lynch of the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit and Judge Dora L. Irizarry of Federal District Court in Brooklyn based on the recommendations of Magistrate Judge Roanne L. Mann with assistance from Nathaniel Persily of Columbia Law School.

The new congressional district line begins in northeastern Queens and extends along the north shore through the Town of Huntington. The southern boundary stops roughly at the Long Island Expressway. Previously, New York State Congressional District 3 included sections of the north and south shores connected by a narrow corridor.

Congressional, assembly, and state senate lines are drawn by the New York State Legislature every 10 years based on the most recent census. In recent decades, many of these districts have assumed strange, irregular shapes that isolate communities with mutual histories and common interests, diluting their influence and making it more difficult for them to influence policy.

This year, the court stepped in to impose congressional district lines when the New York State Legislature was unable to conclude the process. The court-imposed map ignores the residences of incumbents, was completed in under three weeks, and has been praised by good government groups.

The New York State Legislature receives recommendations for how district lines should be drawn from the New York State Legislative Task Force on Demographic Research and Reapportionment (LATFOR). This winter, the Civic Council of Glen Head and Glenwood Landing attended a LATFOR meeting to express support for compact, contiguous districts that make geographic and historic sense. 

The new incumbent for New York State Congressional District 3 is Congressman Steve Israel, a Democrat. Glen Head and Glenwood Landing are currently represented by Congressman Peter King, a Republican.

The New York State Legislature approved new New York State Assembly and New York State Senate maps earlier in March. Governor Andrew M. Cuomo signed them into law as part of an agreement on a state constitutional amendment to reform the redistricting process after the next census in 2020. The New York State Assembly and New York State Senate lines affecting Glen Head and Glenwood Landing appear unchanged.



 

Bills Would Ban Hydrofracking Waste at Nassau County Sewage Treatment Plants

The Nassau County Legislature will soon consider two bills that would ban hydrofracking waste at the county's four sewage treatment plants. Waste from hydrofracking is notoriously toxic and difficult to treat. In September 2011, a report issued by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation identified as potential treatment sites county-owned facilities at Glen Cove on the north shore and Bay Park, Cedar Creek, and Inwood on the south shore.

Representatives of the Nassau County Coalition of Civic Associations and others recently appeared before the county legislature to comment on the challenges involved in treating hydrofracking waste and the negative impact that the practice could have on Long Island Sound and south shore bays.

According to a press release issued by Legislator Denise Ford, a bill, sponsored by a Republican group that includes Legislator Ford, along with legislators Howard Kopel and Dennis Dunne, is in preparation.

The other bill, sponsored by Democrats Dave Denenberg and Delia DeRiggi-Whitton, along with legislators Kevan Abrahams, Judi Bosworth, Judy Jacobs, Joseph Scannell, Carrié Solages, Robert Troiano, and Wayne Wink, has been introduced, according to a press release issued by Legislator DeRiggi-Whitton.

Legislator DeRiggi-Whitton (LD 18) and Legislator Wink (LD 11) represent the Glen Cove / Glen Head / Glenwood Landing area.

County Executive Plans Privatization of Sewage Treatment Plants

In a related matter, County Executive Ed Mangano (R) has proposed selling or leasing the county's sewage treatment plants. The $1.3 billion deal would help balance the 2012 and 2013 budgets. The one-time budget fix is included in the 2012 budget and was approved by the legislature's Republican majority in October 2011. In December, the legislature's Rules Committee voted along party lines to contract with Morgan Stanley at a cost of $100,000 per quarter to assist the county in finding a buyer/operator. Morgan Stanley will receive an additional fee of not less than $5 million for any deal  that is made.

The Nassau County Coalition of Civic Associations believes privatization is a one-time, short-sighted budget fix that has been pursued with little opportunity for public input.  According to the coalition, "For investing in the plants, a private company will expect to reap huge profits from our tax dollars. It’s been proven time and time again, locally and all over the country, that once  a profit-driven private entity takes over a revenue-neutral municipal service, fees skyrocket, and our environment and every resident suffers." The result is a back-door means of increasing taxes that simultaneously removes government and its elected officials from accountability—effects that often last for decades, even generations.

The Nassau County Coalition of Civic Associations has prepared a petition aimed at stopping the sale or lease of Nassau County sewage treatment facilities.

The coalition was recently formed to share information about matters such as privatization of the sewage treatment plants. The Civic Council of Glen Head and Glenwood Landing is in touch with the coalition and has been participating in discussions. The civic council is made up of the civic associations in Glen Head and Glenwood Landing.

Nassau County Hearing on Police Department Reorganization

The Nassau County Legislature Public Safety Committee will discuss a proposal to reorganize the Nassau County Police Department at a meeting on Monday, February 13, at 11 a.m. at the Theodore Roosevelt Executive Building, 1550 Franklin Avenue, Mineola. The plan calls for the Sixth Precinct, which includes Glen Head and Glenwood Landing, and three other precincts to become Community Policing Centers.

According to County Executive Ed Mangano, the plan would redistribute the administrative workload more evenly among four new police precincts; transform four current precincts into four new Community Policing Centers; assign 48 more police officers to Problem Oriented Police (POP) positions and special patrols; maintain all 177 patrol cars in their current neighborhoods; save taxpayers up to $20 million annually by eliminating 100 desk jobs; and provide residents with the ability to access traffic accident reports at precincts and Community Policing Centers.

According to Mangano, the county precinct system, which was configured nearly 40 years ago, today wastes millions of dollars. He said 39 administrators currently work in each precinct and cannot leave their current work locations due to outdated minimum manning policies. He said that after reorganization, each precinct or community policing center will have 12 Problem Oriented Police (POP) officers each, who will spend most of their time out in the communities.

The Civic Council of Glen Head and Glenwood Landing plans to attend the February 13 meeting to request specific information about how the plan would affect service in Glen Head and Glenwood Landing.

Oyster Bay Town Board to Consider Landmarking Maine Maid Inn

The Town of Oyster Bay has scheduled a hearing for Tuesday, November 15, at 10 A.M. to consider landmarking the Maine Maid, a structure on Old Jericho Turnpike in Jericho that is more than 200 years old.

Also known as the Valentine Hicks House, the building is one of the few surviving remnants of the Quaker community that thrived on Long Island during the 18th and 19th centuries. It has been a stage coach stop, post office, and way station on the Underground Railroad. It is said that runaway slaves made their way to the property by sailing across Hempstead Harbor, landing on the eastern shore in the vicinity of the community that later came to be known as Glenwood Landing, and then traveling farther east overland through Glen Head.

Valentine Hicks was the first president of the Long Island Rail Road. For the past 50 years, his homestead was a restaurant. Frank Sinatra dined there after performing at the Westbury Music Fair. Charles Dolan regularly held meetings in a second-floor room to develop a company known as Cablevision. Grumman engineers gathered in the dining room to discuss designs for the lunar lander over lunch.

The restaurant is now closed, and the property is presently in foreclosure. The East Norwich Civic Association submitted a landmark application to the TOB Landmarks Commission, which recommended that the Town Board landmark the site.

The East Norwich Civic Association has incurred various expenses related to the application and has retained an attorney to assist in the application process. Opposition from a bank that is foreclosing on the property is anticipated. Contributions can be sent to the East Norwich Civic Association, P.O. Box 126, East Norwich, NY 11732.

The hearing will be held at Town Hall, 54 Audrey Avenue, Oyster Bay.

Hempstead Harbor Water Trail: Your Input Needed

The Town of North Hempstead is conducting a survey to gather information that will be used to create a canoe and kayak trail in TNH waters (Little Neck Bay, Manhasset Bay, and Hempstead Harbor). The grant was awarded through the New York State Department of State Division of Coastal Resources and funded through the NYS Environmental Protection Fund. The consultant is Nelson, Pope and Voorhis.

To increase the likelihood that some launch sites will be established in Hempstead Harbor, especially on the eastern shore, it is important for people who live in eastern shore communities to weigh in on the matter. Click here to fill in the quick and easy survey, which is managed by the consultant using a service called Survey Monkey. You can fill out the survey even if you are not a canoer or a kayaker. If you wish, at the end of the survey, you can sign up for more information.

On several occasions over the years, Tom Halton (then a Roslyn Harbor Trustee) and the Glenwood / Glen Head Civic Association proposed a canoe and kayak put-in at the western end of Scudders Lane. Sometimes the proposal has prompted positive feedback from TNH; other times the feedback has been less than enthusiastic.

The Town of Oyster Bay has received a similar grant for a canoe and kayak trail in TOB waters (Hempstead Harbor, Oyster Bay, and Cold Spring Harbor). The civic association will pass along information as it becomes aware of developments. Meanwhile, more information about each project may be available on the Town of North Hempstead website or the Town of Oyster Bay website.

The Glen Head / Glenwood Civic Council, an organization made up of civic groups in Glen Head and Glenwood Landing, is an adviser to the Hempstead Harbor Protection Committee, an inter-municipal organization made up of the municipalities surrounding Hempstead Harbor.

Vote Running Against Appoving New Coliseum in Nassau County Special Election

With votes counted in 54 percent of precincts, the vote is running against approving plans for The Hub development to fund a new coliseum and related projects in Nassau County, New York. According to the Nassau County Board of Elections, as of 11:29 P.M., 31,300 votes had been cast in favor of the proposal and 42,688 had been cast against it.

County-wide Vote Scheduled for Aug. 1 on Funding for Coliseum Redevelopment

Nassau County has scheduled a special election for Monday, August 1, on a referendum to fund a a new sports and entertainment complex at the Nassau Coliseum site in the Town of Hempstead. Referred to as the Hub, the proposed development would include a sports arena that would accommodate the New York Islanders professional hockey team and a minor league baseball stadium. Should residents approve the measure, County Executive Edward Mangano has said that construction would likely begin in 2012 and the facility would open no later than 2015.

Vote at your local polling place unless you received other instructions from the Nassau County Board of Elections. Polls will be open from 6 A.M. to 9 P.M.

The referendum reads: Shall a Local Law be approved to establish “The Nassau County Hub Area Development Program” (the “Hub Program”) and to (i) authorize the expenditure of up to $400,000,000, to be bonded by the County and expended solely for the construction of projects in the Hub Area including a new Nassau Coliseum, a minor league baseball stadium, and other economic development projects, (ii) established a line on property tax bills dedicated to the payment of the debt service associated with the Hub Program, and to (iii) to establish a special revenue fund dedicated exclusively to the payment of the debt service on the bonds issued pursuant to the Hub Program?

Suspects in Glen Head / Glenwood Burglaries Arrested

Nassau County Police have arrested three suspects in connection with three burglaries in the Glen Head / Glenwood Landing area in Nassau County, New York, according to Detective Lieutenant Commanding Officer Harun Begis in a letter to victims dated April 19.

In the letter, Detective Lieutenant Begis reported that there have been eight residential burglaries in the community since January. "The Nassau County Police Department has dedicated significant resources to enhance patrols in the area," he said. "We are actively pursuing every possible lead to apprehend and successfully prosecute the person(s) responsible."

Community Acts to Strengthen Security

Residents of Glen Head and Glenwood Landing have responded to a recent rash of break-ins by establishing an email address and email list to keep neighbors informed about security breaches. They also are posting Nassau County Police Department Crime Stopper signs throughout the community. A reward of up to $5,000 has been established for information leading to arrests through Crime Stoppers.

Glen Head - Glenwood Business Association Replacing Avenue of Flags Brackets

The Glen Head - Glenwood Business Association seeks donations to replace the failing brackets that for many years have held flags on Glen Head Road and Glenwood Road on Memorial Day, Fourth of July, and Labor Day.

The Glen Head-Glenwood Business Association, with support from Glenwood Landing American Legion Post #336, has maintained the Avenue of Flags for many years. Recently, wear and tear have taken a toll, and the brackets that hold the flags must be replaced.

To make a donation of any amount, please make a check payable to Glen Head - Glenwood Business Association 2011 American Flag Sponsorship. Please mail to or drop off at First National Bank of Long Island, 10 Glen Head Road, Glen Head, NY 11545, attention John Mulder.

Home Invasions: Best Protections

North Shore High School
Parent-Teacher-Student-Association
TOWN MEETING
Home Invasions in Our Community
Representatives from the Nassau County Police, 6th Precinct
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
High School Cafeteria at 7 P.M.
Glen Head, New York
Find out how to protect yourself, your property, and your home
ALL WELCOME

Historic Glenwood Landing Cemetery Landmarked

An historic cemetery in Glenwood Landing, where some 30 members of the Mott family are buried, has been landmarked by the Town of North Hempstead. The Motts settled on the eastern shore of Hempstead Harbor some four decades before the Revolutionary War in the communities now known as Glenwood Landing and Roslyn Harbor.

The application for landmark designation was submitted to the town by long-time Glenwood Landing resident Sally Sotirovich. Mrs. Sotirovich's research shows that the cemetery is the resting place of four generations of Motts.

The oldest surviving marker, above, dated 1817, is the gravestone of Robert J. Ross (photo courtesy Mrs. Sotirovich). Robert Ross was the first husband of Abigail Mott, daughter of Glorianna Coles and Revolutionary War veteran Jackson Mott. In 1776, Jackson Mott signed the Association at Cow Neck, which opposed the “oppressive acts” of the British Parliament, and fought in the Battle of Long Island as a member of the Wolver Hollow Militia. He died in 1828 and is buried at the Glenwood Landing site.

Settled in 1681, Glenwood Landing has a rich history of farming, sand mining, milling, oystering, fishing, boat building, and energy supply and production. In the late 1800s and early 1900s, the community was a popular resort destination for celebrities and others, who vacationed at Karatsonyi’s Hotel, below, and similar facilities around Hempstead Harbor (postcard courtesy Gold Coast Public Library).

The Mott Cemetery is the first historic site in Glenwood Landing to be landmarked. Mrs. Sotirovich’s research shows that the Mott family arrived in Glenwood Landing and Roslyn Harbor in 1734 from Motts Point in Port Washington. In 1751, Jacob Mott purchased the “Lower Mott Farm,” which extended from Hempstead Harbor to present-day Cody Avenue and included much of present-day Glenwood Landing.

According to Mrs. Sotirovich, the cemetery was located on the farm. The first interment appears to have been about 1802. It is probable that Jacob is buried in the cemetery, but no headstone remains. Jackson, the Revolutionary War soldier and Jacob’s son, lived on the north shore of Motts Cove in a house thought to have been built about 1700. He operated two mills, one located near the front entrance of the present-day Swan Club and one on the south side of present-day Scudders Lane opposite Vine Street.

Jackson Mott’s grandson, Stephen Mott, who also is buried in the cemetery, was the captain of the steamship Idlewild, below, which regularly sailed from Peck’s Slip, near the present-day South Street Seaport in lower Manhattan, to Glenwood Landing (photo courtesy Port Washington Public Library).


Following a hearing in June conducted by the Town of North Hempstead Historic Landmark Commission, the commission recommended landmark status for the cemetery. On September 14, the Town Board unanimously approved a resolution introduced by Councilman Thomas K. Dwyer designating the cemetery as a landmark.

The cemetery is owned by heirs of the Mott family and is not open to the public. A group of local residents is forming the Friends of Mott Cemetery to help preserve and maintain the cemetery and its gravesites. For more information, contact MottCemetery@aol.com.

Happy 216th Birthday William Cullen Bryant

Saturday, Oct. 30: Friends of Cedarmere, a group incorporated this year, reports progress in partnering with Nassau County to reopen Cedarmere, a county-owned historic site and nature preserve. The group also hopes to restore the legacy of William Cullen Bryant (1794 to 1878), a poet, founder of the Republican Party, confidant of Abraham Lincoln, and editor of New York City's Evening Post for 50 years.

Cedarmere, Bryant's home on Hempstead Harbor in Roslyn Harbor, was the "it" place for the 19th century's most distinguished authors, artists, architects, and landscape designers. The Bryant Library in Roslyn and Bryant Park adjacent to the New York Public Library in Manhattan are named for the 19th century man of letters. A statue of Bryant, installed in 1911 shortly after the New York Public Library was completed, still graces the park. Many people will remember memorizing Thanatopsis, or Meditations on Death, Bryant's most famous poem, in high school—an activity that is still frequently included in the high school curriculum.

If the Friends effort is unsuccessful, Cedarmere could conceivably be sold and developed at some point in the future, and many aspects of Bryant's historic significance could slip into oblivion. The group recently met to discuss developments and plans for the future. The event included a celebration of Bryant's 216th birthday, complete with an appearance and a reading by the man himself, played by Frank Hendricks of Glen Cove, shown above cutting his birthday cake.

Cleanup To Begin on Sunoco Property in Glen Head

The Town of Oyster Bay and Sunoco appear to have agreed on a price for the town to purchase the recently closed gas station on the southeast corner of Glen Head Road and Glen Cove Avenue, where another potential buyer had been considering opening a 7-Eleven. A contract has been reviewed by attorneys for the town and Sunco. An environmental review has been completed. The review found "minor" contamination. Sunoco has agreed to conduct the cleanup, which is expected to begin within the next two weeks. The process will probably take about a month and will conclude with an inspection by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. It appears that the town and Sunoco will not sign a contract to transfer ownership until the middle of January.

Gubernatorial Debates 2010 at Hofstra

According to a press release from Hofstra University, seven candidates for Governor of New York State will appear together in a debate at Hofstra on Monday, October 18, at 7 p.m. The debate will be broadcast live by News 12 and several other cable or Internet outlets. An excerpt from the press release is below.

NEWS 12, NEWSDAY, AND HOFSTRA UNIVERSITY
PARTNER TO BRING THE FIRST GUBERNATORIAL DEBATE TO NEW YORK

News 12 Networks, Newsday, and Hofstra University have partnered to present the first New York State Gubernatorial debate on Monday, October 18 at 7:00 p.m. On television, the cable-exclusive event will air live on News 12 Long Island, News 12 Westchester, News 12 Hudson Valley, News 12 The Bronx and News 12 Brooklyn. It will also be carried on Time Warner Cable’s NY1 and YNN, providing coverage throughout the state.

The debate will be held in front of a live audience of invited guests, including community members, local leaders, and Hofstra students. All seven candidates in the race have been invited to attend, and have confirmed:

Charles Barron (Freedom Party)
Andrew Cuomo (Democratic Party)
Kristin Davis (Anti-Prohibition Party)
Howie Hawkins (Green Party)
Jimmy McMillan (Rent is too Damn High Party)
Carl Paladino (Republican Party)
Warren Redlich (Libertarian Party)

In addition to airing on cable, News 12 and Newsday, as part of their commitment to serve as leading resources of news and information in New York, are streaming the event live on www.news12.com and www.newsday.com, making the debate available to anyone with Internet access.

Scudders Pond Restoration Plan Unveiled

Learn about the important quality improvements planned for Scudders Pond and the Scudders Pond Watershed at a public meeting on Wednesday, May 26, at 7 P.M. at North Shore Country Club.

The Hempstead Harbor Protection Committee has secured multiple grants to upgrade storm drains and make other improvements in and around Scudders Pond and to prepare a restoration plan. At the meeting, Cashin Associates, the consultant on the project, will present the plan and take public comments.

The Hempstead Harbor Protection Committee is an inter-municipal organization made up of the nine municipalities surrounding Hempstead Harbor. The Glenwood / Glen Head Civic Association and the United Civic Council of Glen Head and Glenwood Landing serve as technical advisors.

The project is funded by the New York State Environmental Protection Fund administered by the New York State Department of State and by the Nassau County Environmental Bond Act, with the Village of Sea Cliff administering the funding.

The meeting is hosted by North Shore Country Club, 500 Shore Road, Sea Cliff.

What's Your Vision for Muttontown Preserve?

Let Nassau County know how you think Muttontown Preserve—and all the nature preserves in Nassau County, Long Island, New York—should be managed at a public planning meeting on Saturday, May 22, from 9:30 A.M. to 12:30 P.M.

Identify and explore community ideas and desires for the Muttontown Preserve Master Plan currently being drafted for the county by Saratoga Associates, a consulting firm.

According to county staff, the Muttontown plan will be used as a prototype for creating other master plans for other preserves throughout the county.

This is the second community meeting held to obtain community input for the Muttontown plan. A standing-room-only crowd turned out for the first meeting in March.

The May meeting will be held at The Hoffman Center, 6000 Northern Blvd.m East Norwich, NY 11732. RSVP.

Hempstead Harbor Highlights Water Quality Improvements in New York State

NYS Department of Environmental Conservation Commissioner Pete Grannis, right, with Glen Cove Mayor Ralph Suozzi, visited Hempstead Harbor yesterday, kicking off a state-wide tour of sites that showcase the most significant environmental improvements achieved in New York State since the first Earth Day was celebrated 40 years ago.

Commissioner Grannis announced the anticipated opening of Hempstead Harbor to shellfishing, an activity that has been prohibited in Hempstead Harbor for decades owing to poor water quality. State studies show that the water is now clean enough for the ban to be lifted. If federal data confirm state findings, shellfishing soon will be permitted in certain designated areas.

Much of the improvement in water quality is due to the work of the Hempstead Harbor Protection Committee, an inter-municipal organization made up of the nine municipalities surrounding Hempstead Harbor, as well as local community groups and state agencies that serve as technical advisors.

Each municipal government—Nassau County, the towns of Oyster Bay and North Hempstead, the City of Glen Cove, and the villages of Sea Cliff, Roslyn Harbor, Roslyn, Flower Hill, and Sands Point—appoints a representative and pays modest dues to participate in the committee.

The NYS Department of State, NYS Department of Environmental Conservation, United Civic Council of Glen Head and Glenwood Landing, New York Sea Grant, Coalition to Save Hempstead Harbor, and Glenwood / Glen Head Civic Association serve on the committee as technical advisors.

Since the Hempstead Harbor Protection Committee was established 15 years ago, it has completed water quality improvement and harbor management plans and has secured nearly $3 million in grants to implement plan recommendations.

“The projects the committee undertakes—like storm drain inserts or water quality testing—may not always seem terribly exciting, but they are awfully important, ” Glenwood / Glen Head Civic Association President Patrice Benneward said.

“Progress is often painstakingly slow, but the local and state commitment to the Hempstead Harbor Protection Committee has been tenacious. We appreciate all that our state agencies and municipal governments have done and look forward to continuing to work together on many projects that continue to improve and protect Hempstead Harbor.”

Other speakers included Department of Environmental Conservation Regional Director Peter Scully, Town of Oyster Bay Supervisor John Venditto, Town of Hempstead Councilman Fred Pollack, Hempstead Harbor Protection Committee Chairperson Bill Clemency, Glen Cove Mayor Ralph Suozzi, Village of Sea Cliff Mayor Bruce Kennedy, Village of Roslyn Harbor Mayor Yvette Edidin, Carol DiPaolo of the Coalition to Save Hempstead Harbor, and Pat Aitkin of Friends of the Bay (see photos below).

The civic association has supported the Hempstead Harbor Protection Committee since the committee's early days by providing letters of support for grant applications, assisting with public outreach, and helping to set the environmental agenda. The Coalition to Save Hempstead Harbor has been testing water quality in the harbor for more than a decade in partnership with the committee, Nassau County, the Town of Oyster Bay, and the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation.

Among the activities that have contributed to the overall environmental improvement of Hempstead Harbor are an upgrade in wastewater treatment at Glen Cove, conversion of Roslyn’s wastewater treatment facility to a pump station, designation of a no-discharge zone for watercraft, closure of two incinerators and a landfill, implementation of a nitrogen limit for Long island Sound, removal of rotting barges from a nearby sand mining operation, and wetland restoration.

In addition to many grants aimed directly at water quality improvement, the municipalities on the committee have recently obtained grants to construct canoe and kayak trails in Manhasset Bay, Hempsead Harbor, Oyster Bay, and Cold Spring Harbor.

Peter Scully, Director, NYS Department of Environmental Conservation, Long Island Region, flanked by Carol DiPaolo, Coalition to Save Hempstead Harbor (right), Oyster Bay Town Councilwoman Rebecca Alesia, and Oyster Bay Supervisor John Venditto.


Bill Clemency, Deputy Mayor, Village of Flower Hill, and Chair, Hempstead Harbor Protection Committee.


Carol DiPaolo, Coalition to Save Hempstead Harbor.


Eric Swenson, Director, Hempstead Harbor Protection Committee, left, and GeesePeace founder David Feld.


Fred Pollack, Town of North Hempstead Councilman and Representative, Hempstead Harbor Protection Committee.


Sea Cliff Mayor Bruce Kennedy and Roslyn Harbor Mayor Yvette Edidin.


Pat Aitken, Director, Friends of the Bay.


Members of the Coalition to Save Hempstead Harbor, a non-profit organization made up of concerned citizens that is a technical advisor to the Hempstead Harbor Protection Committee, an inter-municipal organization made up of local government representatives.