Civic groups in Glen Head and Glenwood Landing have officially united under the umbrella of the United Civic Council of Glen Head and Glenwood Landing, a group incorporated in 1978 that has been dormant for nearly three decades.
The civic groups involved are the Glenwood / Glen Head Civic Association, the Todd Estates Civic Association, the Hill Terrance Civic Association, the Harbor View Civic Association, the Glen Knolls - Glen Head Civic Association, and the Radcliff Manor neighborhood association.
The Council encourages people from all areas of Glen Head and Glenwood Landing to join an existing civic group or form a group of their own.
In recent years, area civics have often joined forces and spoken with one voice on issues of mutual concern. The revitalization of the United Civics Council will strengthen these efforts.
Sunday, November 23, 2008
Saturday, July 19, 2008
North Hempstead BZA Approves Variances for Apartment Building on Glenwood Landing Waterfront
The Civic Association has received an unconfirmed report that the Town of North Hempstead Board of Zoning Appeals this week approved variances for the apartment building proposed by Glen Harbor Partners for the Glenwood Landing Waterfront south of the Glenwood Landing Power Station. The move clears the way for site plan review by the Town of North Hempstead Planning Board. Public participation will be vital in the site plan review process and can help shape the appearance of the building, the landscaping, and promised public esplanade.
No Athletic Field for Tappen Beach
July 15, 2008: The Coalition to Save Hempstead Harbor reports in the email message below that the Town of Oyster Bay (TOB) has announced that an athletic field will not be installed at Tappen Beach. The Civic Association hopes that TOB will reconvene the Glenwood Landing Waterfront Steering Committee and hold meetings to gather community input about people's vision for Tappen Beach with a view toward updating or creating a new Tappen Beach Plan.
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There will be no artificial-turf field at Tappen Beach! That was the good news today at the TOBAY board meeting! Following about two hours of public hearings, Supervisor John Venditto opened the meeting up for public comment, and when the issue of the Tappen Beach artificial-turf field proposal came up, he stated that the plan has been stopped and that he had made a mistake and miscalculated the public sentiment over the project, and he admitted to being bombarded with calls and e-mails opposing the project.
You all made this happen--everyone who took time to write or call the supervisor's office, write letters to the editor, and sign the petition. (We had nearly 700 signatures on the petition that was circulated to halt the artificial-turf-field proposal.!) This is a victory for the community not only in ensuring that public health and environment will be protected, our quality of life preserved, and our treasured beach park protected from a use that is not in harmony with coastal activities, but also for our faith in the public process. The voices of individuals count, and together we can make a difference in events that shape the future!
We could leave it at that and say we're done, but we're not. First, please take time to write to Supervisor Venditto and thank him for listening to the community. (It took him long enough, but he knows that he made a mistake and that the town's public information system is flawed.) Then tell him you are still concerned about the potential health hazards that artificial turf poses to the town's children and environment and that you encourage the town to initiate a townwide moratorium on construction of artificial turf fields until all the information is in from the appropriate health and environmental agencies--see that attached document that was submitted to Supervisor Venditto and the town council this morning. (The Coalition to Save Hempstead Harbor has never been a NIMBY organization; we don't want to shift the problem to another community.)
And there's this last request. The Coalition is used to operating a shoestring, but the string has become quite thin these days. In addition to all the support you have offered, we need your financial support as well to be able to keep things going so that when the need arises, we will be ready to act. We have downsized our operation, but we still have rent to pay and internet, phone, mail expenses, etc. We have obtained grant money to fund our water program, but we do not have sufficient funds to cover our activist activities. We have not asked for membership dues in a long while, but we are asking now. If you can afford $25 or more, we would greatly appreciate that or any amount you are comfortable donating. Please make checks payable to the Coalition to Save Hempstead Harbor and send them to P.O. Box 159, Sea Cliff, NY 11579. Also, please include your mailing address so that we can acknowledge your contribution as required for tax purposes.
Best regards,
Carol DiPaolo
Programs Director
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There will be no artificial-turf field at Tappen Beach! That was the good news today at the TOBAY board meeting! Following about two hours of public hearings, Supervisor John Venditto opened the meeting up for public comment, and when the issue of the Tappen Beach artificial-turf field proposal came up, he stated that the plan has been stopped and that he had made a mistake and miscalculated the public sentiment over the project, and he admitted to being bombarded with calls and e-mails opposing the project.
You all made this happen--everyone who took time to write or call the supervisor's office, write letters to the editor, and sign the petition. (We had nearly 700 signatures on the petition that was circulated to halt the artificial-turf-field proposal.!) This is a victory for the community not only in ensuring that public health and environment will be protected, our quality of life preserved, and our treasured beach park protected from a use that is not in harmony with coastal activities, but also for our faith in the public process. The voices of individuals count, and together we can make a difference in events that shape the future!
We could leave it at that and say we're done, but we're not. First, please take time to write to Supervisor Venditto and thank him for listening to the community. (It took him long enough, but he knows that he made a mistake and that the town's public information system is flawed.) Then tell him you are still concerned about the potential health hazards that artificial turf poses to the town's children and environment and that you encourage the town to initiate a townwide moratorium on construction of artificial turf fields until all the information is in from the appropriate health and environmental agencies--see that attached document that was submitted to Supervisor Venditto and the town council this morning. (The Coalition to Save Hempstead Harbor has never been a NIMBY organization; we don't want to shift the problem to another community.)
And there's this last request. The Coalition is used to operating a shoestring, but the string has become quite thin these days. In addition to all the support you have offered, we need your financial support as well to be able to keep things going so that when the need arises, we will be ready to act. We have downsized our operation, but we still have rent to pay and internet, phone, mail expenses, etc. We have obtained grant money to fund our water program, but we do not have sufficient funds to cover our activist activities. We have not asked for membership dues in a long while, but we are asking now. If you can afford $25 or more, we would greatly appreciate that or any amount you are comfortable donating. Please make checks payable to the Coalition to Save Hempstead Harbor and send them to P.O. Box 159, Sea Cliff, NY 11579. Also, please include your mailing address so that we can acknowledge your contribution as required for tax purposes.
Best regards,
Carol DiPaolo
Programs Director
Civic Letter to the Editor re Proposed Athletic Field at Tappen Beach
June 6, 2008: Letter to the Editor, Glen Cove Record Pilot
Looking for Answers to Tappen Beach Changes
There is perhaps no more significant natural resource in Glenwood Landing and Glen Head than the Glenwood Landing Waterfront. The Glenwood / Glen Head Civic Association believes that the installation of an artificial turf athletic field at Tappen Beach is a major change in, and intensification of, use for that resource. We believe that such a change requires public input in an open forum that provides all residents with the same information and the same opportunity to comment. Such a forum also would require the town to respond to the various concerns expressed by residents.
Having heard vague rumors that another athletic field might be in the works for Tappen and having had no luck in confirming the rumor through normal channels, I attended a Town Board meeting last June and waited until midnight to request information during the public comment period. Several weeks later, the Parks Department contacted me and a meeting was arranged.
At that meeting, I asked many questions including but not limited to: Is there a plan for the design, construction, management, and continued maintenance of the field? How does the plan address such concerns as the impact of an athletic field on view corridors, mature trees, the picnic area and other green space, and recently installed improvements, such as the play area? How will the field be integrated into the park? Will there be lights? If so, how bright, how tall, how late will they be on, and what will the electric bill be? Will the field be like the one recently installed at Center Island or the one at John Burns? Will there be fences? If so, how many and how tall? Will tarps be placed on the fences? Will there be bleachers? What will the hours of operation be? Will players who do not belong to clubs be accommodated and if so, how? Who will maintain the artificial turf? Is artificial turf safe for children and the environment? How many teams and how many clubs use fields in the area? Few answers were provided.
I said the situation highlighted the need to update the plan for Tappen Beach and that no major changes to the beach should be made until such a process is completed with plenty of public input. I said the plan should include three scenarios: a vision for the park if the utility lots are acquired; a vision for the park if the utility lots are not acquired; and a list of projects that can be implemented while the disposition of the utility lots is resolved. I also said that a recreational needs assessment for the community should be conducted, a suggestion made in the Glenwood Landing Waterfront Redevelopment and Revitalization Plan.
The Town established a strong precedent for public participation in its northwestern hamlets by preparing and adopting the GWL Waterfront Plan. While we are certain that the athletic field project is well motivated and that an athletic field of some type may be needed, the procedure that has been used to advance the project undermines this precedent. I know of no public meetings or agendas that included an artificial turf athletic field at Tappen Beach. Although I certainly could have missed one, I sure have been keeping my eyes peeled. Furthermore, private meetings between the Parks Department and various user groups do not constitute an open, public process.
This Civic Association is committed to balancing the competing needs and interests of the community, recognizes the role of compromise, and has the track record to prove it. We contend that the athletic field that the Parks Department seems so intent on installing cannot result in balance because of the flawed method by which the project is being advanced. We urge the Town to reconsider the matter pending updating of the Tappen Beach plan; a needs assessment; and a town-conducted, community-wide informational mailing and public meeting held in Glen Head.
Comments and correspondence from the Civic Association about the possibility of an artificial turf athletic field at Tappen Beach can be viewed at www.GlenwoodGlenHeadCivic.BlogSpot.com.
Patrice Benneward, President, Glenwood/Glen Head Civic Association
Looking for Answers to Tappen Beach Changes
There is perhaps no more significant natural resource in Glenwood Landing and Glen Head than the Glenwood Landing Waterfront. The Glenwood / Glen Head Civic Association believes that the installation of an artificial turf athletic field at Tappen Beach is a major change in, and intensification of, use for that resource. We believe that such a change requires public input in an open forum that provides all residents with the same information and the same opportunity to comment. Such a forum also would require the town to respond to the various concerns expressed by residents.
Having heard vague rumors that another athletic field might be in the works for Tappen and having had no luck in confirming the rumor through normal channels, I attended a Town Board meeting last June and waited until midnight to request information during the public comment period. Several weeks later, the Parks Department contacted me and a meeting was arranged.
At that meeting, I asked many questions including but not limited to: Is there a plan for the design, construction, management, and continued maintenance of the field? How does the plan address such concerns as the impact of an athletic field on view corridors, mature trees, the picnic area and other green space, and recently installed improvements, such as the play area? How will the field be integrated into the park? Will there be lights? If so, how bright, how tall, how late will they be on, and what will the electric bill be? Will the field be like the one recently installed at Center Island or the one at John Burns? Will there be fences? If so, how many and how tall? Will tarps be placed on the fences? Will there be bleachers? What will the hours of operation be? Will players who do not belong to clubs be accommodated and if so, how? Who will maintain the artificial turf? Is artificial turf safe for children and the environment? How many teams and how many clubs use fields in the area? Few answers were provided.
I said the situation highlighted the need to update the plan for Tappen Beach and that no major changes to the beach should be made until such a process is completed with plenty of public input. I said the plan should include three scenarios: a vision for the park if the utility lots are acquired; a vision for the park if the utility lots are not acquired; and a list of projects that can be implemented while the disposition of the utility lots is resolved. I also said that a recreational needs assessment for the community should be conducted, a suggestion made in the Glenwood Landing Waterfront Redevelopment and Revitalization Plan.
The Town established a strong precedent for public participation in its northwestern hamlets by preparing and adopting the GWL Waterfront Plan. While we are certain that the athletic field project is well motivated and that an athletic field of some type may be needed, the procedure that has been used to advance the project undermines this precedent. I know of no public meetings or agendas that included an artificial turf athletic field at Tappen Beach. Although I certainly could have missed one, I sure have been keeping my eyes peeled. Furthermore, private meetings between the Parks Department and various user groups do not constitute an open, public process.
This Civic Association is committed to balancing the competing needs and interests of the community, recognizes the role of compromise, and has the track record to prove it. We contend that the athletic field that the Parks Department seems so intent on installing cannot result in balance because of the flawed method by which the project is being advanced. We urge the Town to reconsider the matter pending updating of the Tappen Beach plan; a needs assessment; and a town-conducted, community-wide informational mailing and public meeting held in Glen Head.
Comments and correspondence from the Civic Association about the possibility of an artificial turf athletic field at Tappen Beach can be viewed at www.GlenwoodGlenHeadCivic.BlogSpot.com.
Patrice Benneward, President, Glenwood/Glen Head Civic Association
Saturday, May 31, 2008
Meeting to Highlight Practical Ways Community Character Is Being Preserved in Hamlet of Oyster Bay
Come the meeting below to learn about positive measures to preserve community character that have been implemented in the unincorporated hamlet of Oyster Bay that could be applied in Glenwood Landing and Glen Head.
Save the Jewel By the Bay in cooperation with
The Town of Oyster Bay
A COMMUNITY MEETING for the
Save the Jewel By the Bay in cooperation with
The Town of Oyster Bay
A COMMUNITY MEETING for the
HAMLET OF OYSTER BAY
In 2005, this community called for a moratorium to protect the Hamlet of Oyster Bay Residential Community from the demolition of homes, the subdivision of residential properties, the building of over-sized homes on sub-standard lots, and the cutting down of mature trees within this historic community. Since that time, much has been accomplished through the spirit of cooperation between the Town of Oyster Bay, Save the Jewel By the Bay, and Hamlet residents.
Come and hear about the legislative changes that have resulted from the moratorium, including:
· the creation of new Zoning Laws unique to our Hamlet
· the new Town-wide Tree Preservation Ordinance
· an update on where we are now
· a look at what is being considered for the future
Hofstra University will also present an Historical Perspective of Oyster Bay
Date: Monday, June 16, 2008
Place: The First Presbyterian Church
60 East Main Street, Oyster Bay, NY
Time: 7:30 p.m.
Bring: Family, friends, and neighbors
In 2005, this community called for a moratorium to protect the Hamlet of Oyster Bay Residential Community from the demolition of homes, the subdivision of residential properties, the building of over-sized homes on sub-standard lots, and the cutting down of mature trees within this historic community. Since that time, much has been accomplished through the spirit of cooperation between the Town of Oyster Bay, Save the Jewel By the Bay, and Hamlet residents.
Come and hear about the legislative changes that have resulted from the moratorium, including:
· the creation of new Zoning Laws unique to our Hamlet
· the new Town-wide Tree Preservation Ordinance
· an update on where we are now
· a look at what is being considered for the future
Hofstra University will also present an Historical Perspective of Oyster Bay
Date: Monday, June 16, 2008
Place: The First Presbyterian Church
60 East Main Street, Oyster Bay, NY
Time: 7:30 p.m.
Bring: Family, friends, and neighbors
Saturday, March 08, 2008
Glenwood Landing and Glen Head Open Space Acquisitions Proposed at Oyster Bay SEA Fund Meeting
The Glenwood / Glen Head Civic Association appeared at the Town of Oyster Bay's Save Environmental Assets (SEA) meeting at Town Hall on Tuesday, March 4, to support two acquisitions in Glenwood Landing (GWL) and Glen Head.
The first is the propane field on Shore Road, which has made every town and county open space bond priority list. The second is a lot on the southwest corner of Glenwood Road and Glen Cove Avenue where a building was recently razed. Five area civics submitted a proposal for acquisition of this lot in a letter to the town dated January 8.
The first is the propane field on Shore Road, which has made every town and county open space bond priority list. The second is a lot on the southwest corner of Glenwood Road and Glen Cove Avenue where a building was recently razed. Five area civics submitted a proposal for acquisition of this lot in a letter to the town dated January 8.
The Coalition to Save Hempstead Harbor also appeared at the meeting and offered support for both of these acquisitions.
It was our impression that, under the town’s first SEA fund round, the propane field was not acquired because much of the funds were needed for the very worthwhile Underhill purchase, which the Civic Association actively supported. It was our impression that, under the second round, the propane field was not purchased because it was not perceived as threatened—an attitude that may have been misguided given the recent sale of KeySpan to Nation Grid. We can only hope that National Grid will be receptive to a deal.
At the meeting, the Civic Association pointed out that the community tolerated the installation of two new generators several years ago largely out of hope, born out of many informal conversations with involved parties, that the propane field would soon enter the public domain. It seemed like a reasonable compromise: a few new generators across the street from the water in exchange for prime waterfront access directly on Hempstead Harbor. But the community has now been waiting more than six years for reclamation of Glenwood Landing’s industrial waterfront to move forward.
The second property is a vacant lot in central Glen Head on the southwest corner of Glen Cove Avenue and Glenwood Road, where a building was recently razed. In a joint letter, civic associations in Todd Estates, Hill Terrace, Harbor View, and Glen Knolls/Glen Head Estates and the Glenwood / Glen Head Civic Association suggested that the town explore acquiring this property under the SEA fund for use as a village green. The civic associations said that they believe village greens are important for attracting businesses, maintaining property values, and creating vibrant, pleasant communities that can compete with neighboring incorporated villages.
The Glenwood / Glen Head Civic Association also requested that the town provide a comprehensive updated report of all SEA fund activities to date.
The propane field has been fully remediated. It is directly on Hempstead Harbor. Its acquisition would create a spectacular GWL Waterfront Greenway that would connect with Tappen Beach. The town has received a small state grant to help offset the cost of the purchase. The NYS Open Space Plan specifically states that establishing a GWL Waterfront Greenway is a state priority, as does the town’s own GWL Waterfront Revitalization Plan.
The town stated that it has approached National Grid with a formal proposal for acquisition of the propane field and is awaiting a response.
It was our impression that, under the town’s first SEA fund round, the propane field was not acquired because much of the funds were needed for the very worthwhile Underhill purchase, which the Civic Association actively supported. It was our impression that, under the second round, the propane field was not purchased because it was not perceived as threatened—an attitude that may have been misguided given the recent sale of KeySpan to Nation Grid. We can only hope that National Grid will be receptive to a deal.
At the meeting, the Civic Association pointed out that the community tolerated the installation of two new generators several years ago largely out of hope, born out of many informal conversations with involved parties, that the propane field would soon enter the public domain. It seemed like a reasonable compromise: a few new generators across the street from the water in exchange for prime waterfront access directly on Hempstead Harbor. But the community has now been waiting more than six years for reclamation of Glenwood Landing’s industrial waterfront to move forward.
The second property is a vacant lot in central Glen Head on the southwest corner of Glen Cove Avenue and Glenwood Road, where a building was recently razed. In a joint letter, civic associations in Todd Estates, Hill Terrace, Harbor View, and Glen Knolls/Glen Head Estates and the Glenwood / Glen Head Civic Association suggested that the town explore acquiring this property under the SEA fund for use as a village green. The civic associations said that they believe village greens are important for attracting businesses, maintaining property values, and creating vibrant, pleasant communities that can compete with neighboring incorporated villages.
The Glenwood / Glen Head Civic Association also requested that the town provide a comprehensive updated report of all SEA fund activities to date.
During the last several years, the Glenwood / Glen Head Civic Association has distributed more than 10,000 flyers supporting the town and county open space bonds and has appeared before the town board and county legislature to support several acquisitions, including the Underhill property in Jericho.
North Hempstead Zoning Board Takes Up Proposal for Waterfront Apartment Complex in Glenwood Landing
The Town of North Hempstead (TNH) Board of Zoning Appeals (BZA) will resume deliberations on the Glen Harbor Partners proposal for a condominium apartment complex on waterfront property on Hempstead Harbor in Glenwood Landing south of the Glenwood Landing Power Station on Wednesday, April 2, at 1 p.m.
The meeting will be held at North Hempstead Town Hall, 210 Plandome Road, Manhasset 11030. BZA agendas are subject to change. Contact the BZA to confirm: 869-7667.
Please express your views, whether again or for the first time, about this proposal and appropriate uses for the parcel. Your presence at the hearing, as well as phone calls and written messages, will let TNH know that the residents of Glen Head and Glenwood Landing take great interest in Hempstead Harbor and the Glenwood Landing Waterfront and may improve this proposal or result in a different use for the parcel.
The meeting will be held at North Hempstead Town Hall, 210 Plandome Road, Manhasset 11030. BZA agendas are subject to change. Contact the BZA to confirm: 869-7667.
Please express your views, whether again or for the first time, about this proposal and appropriate uses for the parcel. Your presence at the hearing, as well as phone calls and written messages, will let TNH know that the residents of Glen Head and Glenwood Landing take great interest in Hempstead Harbor and the Glenwood Landing Waterfront and may improve this proposal or result in a different use for the parcel.
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