Over the past year, the Village of Farmingdale has kept and continues to keep taxes within the 2 percent levy cap threshold. Meanwhile the Standard and Poor’s Bond rating for the Village went up two points to AA.
We recently settled a 9-year-old lawsuit at no cost to Village residents as our former insurance company will cover all disbursements. Future residential development dispersed throughout the village will have a 10 percent workforce housing requirement. Housing income caps will be five percent at 80 percent and five percent at 50 percent of the Nassau County household median income.
Presently, there are only three vacant storefronts downtown, with new store openings in the next few months, including The Village Diner, Charlotte’s Frozen Yogurt, the Dark Horse Tavern, Hush Speak Easy, Blue Hawaiian Restaurant, La Dolce Care and a “Make Your Own Pizza” restaurant.
The village also broke ground on the long-awaited Bartone-TDI development project, which involves the development of 154 housing units adjacent to the LIRR station, with 20,000 sq. ft. of retail space. And at the end of March, Staller Associates will demolition the property at 235 Main Street with 300 sq. ft. of retail and 27 housing units. Also 285 Eastern Parkway will be redeveloped with 26 units of apartments.
We are also awaiting the approval of the New York State Department of Transportation for a left hand turning lane on Main Street at the Conklin Street intersection. This will boost traffic flow through the Downtown. The Secatogue Avenue and Conklin Street
intersection will be getting a right hand turn arrow—at the Valero Gas Station—to enhance traffic flow.
Farmingdale Village received a $200,000 grant through Rep. Peter King for new Scott Breathing Apparatus for our Fire Department, and recently approved the capital purchase of trucks, one of which is retrofitted with a large capacity dump body for debris removal.
The Village continues to have events on Main Street and plans on expanding the “Movies on the Green”. This March we will also be holding our Second Annual “St. Patrick’s Day Parade” on March 23, at 1 p.m. down Main Street. We hope to see you there.
Farmingdale Mayor
Ralph Ekstrand
