It seems as if the same group who opposed VLTs at Belmont are at it again, but this time they oppose a soccer stadium, restaurants and retail shopping at Belmont. They were against VLT gambling at a racetrack for fear of home values declining, plus the children and our schools being so close to gambling and drinking.
But now this same group led by Legislator and Assemblywoman Michaelle Solages are proposing affordable housing and a supermarket at the same Belmont Race Track? I guess now they don’t worry about the families who will be living on a racetrack so close to gambling. I wonder, did they ask if the schools and tax payers could afford the burden of affordable housing at the race track? Did they tell the communities of Elmont and Floral Park where these homes will be built and how many? Did they take into account the strain on our school taxes, water, police, fire and more.
I’m sure some units will be built right across the street from Floral Park Memorial High School, after all that is also state land. They can’t argue much against the Cosmos and the family-oriented sport of soccer, the sport has become a huge event on Long Island for both boys and girls.
I guess they can make the same false claims about the value of a soccer stadium the same way they did against VLTs. But building a supermarket in a race track when supermarkets have closed and others are facing bankruptcy simple isn’t a smart economic plan. Where is the outrage from Floral Park now that your community is facing low-cost housing being built at Belmont that will surely drive your home values down? I think we all know by now that something will be built at Belmont, but one plan will have a costly effect; the other will bring jobs, entertainment for families and revenue. Now you really have something to worry and think about.
—Patrick Nicolosi
