Copyright 2008. For problems or questions regarding this Web site contact
[Email].
Last updated: 08/04/09.
Long Island Lighthouse Political & Economic
Development Alliance
|
|
Home |
Here is my impression of the Town Council meeting this past Tuesday: It was an exciting experience attending the Town Council meeting with Ken and Bob in order to bring the Lighthouse to the fore of discussion. Like most fans and advocates of the project, I was frustrated with the veil of secrecy and eager to gain an understanding of the current state of the project. The three of us wore orange ribbons on our lapels in order to signify our support for the Project and make ourselves instantly visible. The Council meeting itself flew by, since nobody sought to comment on any issue on the docket except one. In about 45 minutes, it was time for public comments, and I was first to speak. I began in more of an inspirational tone, reminding the Council that Long Island and its residents have been at the forefront of progress and the national consciousness for centuries, and the Lighthouse Project offered a unique opportunity to once again show the nation the way. I also spoke about the benefits of the project, and I urged the Town to take prompt action in approving the re-zoning application in order to let our Island soar once again. Bob spoke next, signifying his support and seeking a more clear picture of the project status, followed by Ken, who clearly articulated the best points of the project. The three of us were very careful to stress the benefits to the community at large rather than mentioning the word "Islanders." We did not want the proponents of the project to be pigeonholed as merely hockey fans rather than citizen activists, and, frankly, we're all a little depressed about the current state of the team. Throughout our comments, Kate Murray seemed very open and willing to entertain our thoughts and ideas. She voiced her eagerness to discuss the future state of the Lighthouse, and she also mentioned it was currently under environmental review from the State. This was encouraging, but we sought to find out more information once the meeting adjourned. I had a chance to speak with Kate Murray for a few minutes after the meeting. Without much prompting, she took the extra orange ribbons we had made for distribution to the Council, and she even mentioned most of the other Council members had asked if they could get some ribbons from us. As I chatted with Kate, I developed a rather good impression of her. She offered to put us in touch with people who could aid our efforts, and she also articulated the main belief that we have about the Lighthouse. The parcel of land around the Coliseum needs to be developed, and the community will not receive a better deal or a more beautiful project than that the Lighthouse people are proposing. She mentioned to us that the project is currently under SEQR Review from the Department of Environmental Conservation in New York State. As Kate left the meeting, the three of us turned our attention to the Attorney for the Town of Hempstead. Originally, he identified himself as a season ticket holder, and he was incredulous that we did not say the word "Islanders" throughout our attempts to sell the project. We explained our rationale, and we really had an informative discussion with him. He informed us that the project is moving forward, reinforcing Kate's point that the next step was a Positive Declaration from the DEC. A Positive Declaration basically states that the project will have environmental impact, but this is a pretty simple thing, really. In essence, a Positive Dec means something that wasn't there before is going to be built. He also told us the following pieces of information: 1. Approval rests with the County on the project, but the Lighthouse has chosen to go to the Town first. My read on that: they want to see what the Town will allow them to build before they concern themselves with a lease. That makes sense, I have to know what I'm buying before I know how much I'm willing to pay you for it. 2. The renovation of Nassau Coliseum is already approved and does not need a
Declaration from the environmental department of NY State. However, the
renovation is bundled into the rest of the project. The hotel is likely to be
approved as is, despite the height, but height may be a concern for other
buildings within the site. The breakdown of housing will be a contention, as
well. The Lighthouse will naturally want more condos because those are more
expensive and the land development is meant to pay for the arena. However, the
Town will want a greater share of Senior Citizen/Next-Generation housing in
order to support those generations of residents. We also underscored the need
for a workable mass-transit option for the site, since the biggest point of
contention for the NIMBY's will be traffic (as it is for everything on the
Island). 4. Kate Murray didn't drop the puck at the Coliseum on Town of Hempstead Night because of a misunderstanding. Groups of fans started publicizing the need to show up and let Kate Murray know how much they support the Lighthouse. The Town misread this and thought Kate Murray was going into an ambush, so they cancelled her appearance. The misunderstanding was resolved, thankfully. I left the meeting eager to continue our efforts and more confident than previously that we will see something approved.Nick
|
|
|