Shop and Dine in Garden City
The residents of Garden City are very fortunate to have viable retail businesses on Seventh Street, Franklin Avenue and New Hyde Park Road where there is a good variety of quality merchandise and family dining experiences available to be enjoyed. Please support these businesses and enjoy the products, variety and outstanding customer service. Keep in mind that these merchants save you from traveling outside the village for your needs. Consider the harsh reality if we did not have these businesses here to service our needs.
Railroad Parking Permits
As of Sept. 19, 2011, the village will begin issuing Railroad Parking Permits for the 2011/2012 year. The annual fee is $150, (this equates to less than $.60 per day).
Permits may be obtained at the Village Business Office, 351 Stewart Ave. Residents who already possess a 2010/11 permit will receive a renewal application by mail, which may be returned to the village either by mail or in person. Please review the information provided and correct any erroneous data and/or complete any missing information. A copy of your vehicle registration must accompany your application and check. The 2010/11 parking permits will be honored until Oct. 31, 2011.
Safely Yield to Volunteer Firefighters Who Are Responding to Emergencies
A chronic problem involving motorists in the village is the failure to safely yield the right of way to volunteer firefighters who are responding to a fire alarm.
Under state law, volunteer firefighters are permitted to display a flashing blue light in their vehicles as they are responding to fire emergencies. While this flashing blue light does not entitle the driver to violate any of the speed limits, traffic controls, etc., it does signify that the driver is responding to an emergency. All motorists seeing an approaching vehicle displaying this blue flashing light are encouraged to safely yield the right of way as they would were it an emergency vehicle displaying red flashing lights.
While speaking of vehicular safety, I am requesting our Police Department to enforce violations of the right turn on red signal law. Although drivers making a right on red are supposed to stop before turning, they are also required to yield to oncoming vehicles having the green light. All too often these turns are being made without any stop and further by cutting in front of on-coming vehicles thereby endangering not only themselves but innocent parties as well.
Board of Trustees’ Meeting Schedule
The next board of trustees meetings will be held on Thursday, Oct. 6, and Thursday, Oct. 20. The meetings will be held in the boardroom at Village Hall and will begin at 8 p.m. I encourage all residents to attend board of trustees meetings so as to be thoroughly informed of village issues from a first-hand perspective.
Village’s Website
I invite residents to periodically utilize the village’s website for information regarding the village’s operations, as well as items of seasonal and special interest. The address is www.gardencityny.net. For your convenience, listed on the village’s homepage under the heading of Administration is a sub-heading “Business Offices: Required Permits and Regulations,” which includes information regarding block parties, garage sales, railroad parking, etc.
We are also in the process of developing a new website which will allow residents to pay taxes, water bills, etc., online as well as provide other village amenities. Of course, when this is accomplished we will notify the residents in this column.
