Levittown is under attack.
Highly organized, well-funded groups, such as the Rauch Foundation, International Coalition for Local and Environmental Initiative (ICLEI), and Long Island Vision are trying to destroy our zoning laws.
Presently, our suburban way of life is protected under the Levittown Planned Residential District (LPRD). The LPRD prevents a developer from ripping down a group of houses and putting up mixed-use or multi-family dwellings. Think, four apartments over a pizza parlor, or dry cleaners. Think, stretched-to-the-limit school districts with split-day, double sessions.
This attack on Levittown is being disguised as “improving suburbia.” The Rauch Foundation of Garden City, headed by Nancy Rauch Dousinas (Lloyd Harbor), ran a “Build a Better Burb” contest with a top prize of $10,000. The contest had nothing to do with building a better suburbia—just the opposite. The entries called for eliminating the LPRD, getting rid of fences, and squeezing in thousands of rental units.
What colossal nerve!
Meanwhile, North Shore residents are preserving in perpetuity thousands of acres of open space through the North Shore Land Alliance. Yes, the North Shore of Long Island is beautiful and, yes, it is heartbreaking to see the old estates and bits of farmland bulldozed over for luxury townhouses. Agreed.
But we’re not running $10,000 contests to destroy Lloyd Harbor, so kindly leave Levittown alone.
At the Crocus Lane Estates hearing in Hempstead on Wednesday, Oct. 3, our town supervisor and town council members need to send a strong volley to the elitist “leader makers,” to the traitors operating under ICLEI, and to anyone else dumb enough to believe that higher density is better for our kids. All new construction must conform to the stipulations in the LPRD—no compromises, no exceptions, and no more persecution of the residents in the surrounding homes.
Dale Bertan, acting secretary of Levittown Property Owners Association
