Village of Garden City’s Mayor Report

THE MAYOR’S UPDATE

Village Hall and the administrative offices are open for in-person inquiries and business, and all full-time staff has returned to the on-site workplace. Office hours are between 9:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. Visitors are required to wear a face covering, maintain social distancing of six feet and sign in to a Visitor’s Log outside of the office they are visiting. Furthermore, while multiple people can enter Village Hall, only one person will be admitted into each office space at a time and are asked to abide by employee instructions. Please don’t forget to wear a mask and to practice social distancing.

NON-RESIDENT PARKING PERMIT APPLICATION PROCESS

The Non-Resident Parking Permit application process will be done via a Lottery this year. If you are interested in purchasing a permit, please mail or bring the following items to Garden City Village Hall, 351 Stewart Avenue, no later than 4:00 p.m. on Friday, September 18, 2020:

Completed, signed Non-Resident Railroad Parking Application (Click here) (The requested Railroad Station – Stewart Manor or Nassau Blvd – must be selected.)
Check in the amount of $500 made payable to the Inc. Village of Garden City
Copy of valid vehicle registration for the car to be used in the parking lot

As in past years, please note there is a limit of two applications per household. All winners will be notified on September 21, 2020. Parking permits are effective for the period 10/1/2020 – 9/30/2021. Please call 465-4166 if you have any questions.

SANITATION COLLECTION – LABOR DAY

Residents are reminded that there will be no garbage pickup on Monday, September 7, 2020. The Holiday Week Collection Schedule will be as follows:

GARBAGE RUBBISH

Western Half of Village Tuesday/Friday Thursday, September 10th

(West of Rockaway Avenue)

Eastern Half of Village Wednesday/Saturday Thursday, September 10th

(East of Rockaway Avenue)

Residents scheduled for recycling on Monday, September 7th, are asked to put their recyclables out on Labor Day.

SEPTEMBER 11, 2001 REMEMBRANCE CEREMONY

Chief Thomas Strysko and the Officers and Members of the Garden City Volunteer Fire Department would like to invite all Village residents to join the Department for its annual 9/11 Remembrance Ceremony at the Village 9/11 Memorial located at the Village Green and Gazebo at the corner of Hilton and Stewart Avenues. The remembrance service will be held Friday, September 11, 2020 at 7:00 PM. Anyone that wishes to attend the ceremony must wear a face covering and maintain six feet distancing. For those that do not wish to attend in person, they can view the ceremony live on the Garden City Fire Department Facebook page. The service pays tribute to the 23 Garden City residents that perished during the attack on the World Trade Center, the 343 members of the FDNY, 23 members of the NYPD and 37 members of the PAPD killed, as well as those who have died of 9/11-related illnesses.

MERILLON AVENUE STATION ENHANCEMENT

Throughout September, crews will construct a temporary platform alongside the new permanent platform on the south side of the tracks. This temporary platform will assist passengers getting on to and off of trains, and will exist until the third track is complete and functioning along the corridor.

Permanent platforms on the northeast side of the station will open in late September. Following the opening of these permanent platforms, crews will demolish the temporary platforms on the northwestern end of the station. ADA compliant elevators, ramps, stairs and walkway construction will continue to progress on the south side of the tracks.

Please board and exit all trains (westbound and eastbound) from the first six (6) cars at Merillon Avenue station and continue to utilize the temporary crosswalks along Main Avenue. Some parking spots will remain unavailable at Merillon Avenue; replacement parking is provided north of Merillon Avenue station, along Broadway between County Courthouse Road and Herricks Road, on the south side of the street.

75^th ANNIVERSARY OF WORLD WAR II IN JAPAN

September 2nd in 2020 marked the 75th anniversary of the victory of World War II in Japan. Douglas MacArthur said it best when he commented, “Today the guns are silent. A great tragedy has ended. A great victory has been won. The skies no longer rain death. The seas bear only commerce; men everywhere they walk upright in the sunlight. The entire world is quietly at peace. The holy mission has been completed.” We must never forget.

LARCENIES FROM VEHICLES

Larceny from vehicles remains an ongoing issue throughout Nassau County. These thefts usually occur during the overnight hours in residential areas, and in most cases, the targeted vehicles are left unlocked. In some of these incidents, the vehicle was stolen because a key or fob was left inside.

The Garden City Police Department is working closely with the Nassau County Police Department and other local Departments in addressing these crimes by sharing intelligence and investigative results to assist in the identification of possible suspects and patterns. These efforts have resulted in the arrest of several subjects. Recently the Nassau County PD published the following safeguards for all residents:

Always lock your vehicle, even when it is parked in your driveway or garage.
Always take your keys or fob with you.
Never leave or hide a smart key, valet key, or spare key in your vehicle.
Never leave your car running, while unattended or unlocked.
If possible, park your vehicle in a locked garage.
Park in well-lit areas.
Keep the exterior of homes and driveways well illuminated.
Close all your vehicle windows completely when parked.
Consider installing a GPS system, a visible anti-theft device or an audible alarm.
Never leave valuable personal property in your vehicle.
Also, secure your garage door opener to prevent access to your home.

The Garden City Police Department reminds everyone that thefts involving unoccupied vehicles are often just crimes of opportunity. When simple precautions are taken to reduce that opportunity, the likelihood of someone entering your vehicle is drastically reduced. In addition, alert residents are often instrumental in the apprehension of criminals, particularly subjects who commit larcenies involving vehicles. Residents are encouraged to promptly call 911 and report suspicious activities, persons, noises or vehicles, including license plate numbers, to the Police Department. In addition, residents and property owners who have video surveillance footage of a crime on their property, or a neighbor’s property, are encouraged to contact the Detective Division at 465-4108.

CONSTITUTION WEEK – SEPTEMBER 17 – 23

The Colonel Aaron Ogden Chapter of the National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution has asked me to proclaim the week of September 17-23 as “Constitution Week” in Garden City. Our nation’s Constitution, adopted September 17, 1787, provided a fundamental document for freedom and independence, which no other country in the world has been able to emulate. We all have cause to pause and reflect on this great heritage given to us by our forefathers. Residents are urged to fly the flag all week in observance.

VILLAGE ELECTION SEPTEMBER 15

Due to the Coronavirus, the annual Village Election originally scheduled for Wednesday, March 18, 2020 has been rescheduled to Tuesday, September 15, 2020 between the hours of noon and 9:00 p.m. at Village Hall. Registered Village residents will be voting for the following candidates:

Trustee 2 Years Robert A. Bolebruch
Trustee 2 Years John M. Delany
Trustee 2 Years Colleen E. Foley
Trustee 2 Years Louis M. Minuto

The Village is taking precaution by requiring everyone to wear a facial covering, maintain social distancing, providing hand sanitizer, supplying a new pen to every voter to mark their ballot and the pen will not be reused, as well as ensuring that the voting equipment is sanitized every 30 minutes.

ABSENTEE BALLOTS

Absentee Ballot applications to be used in conjunction with the General Village Election on Tuesday, September 15, 2020 are available at Village Hall, 351 Stewart Avenue. The Village Clerk has to receive applications by September 8, 2020 if the ballot is to be mailed. For personal application, the deadline is September 14, 2020.

WESTERN NASSAU TRANSMISSION PROJECT

The Western Nassau Transmission Project consists of the construction, operation and maintenance of a proposed new 138 kilovolt underground transmission line primarily within the public roadway rights-of-way for a total distance of approximately seven miles between the East Garden City substation (located in Uniondale) and the Valley Stream substation (located in Lynbrook).

The project is expected to reinforce LIPA’s electric transmission system in the southwest Nassau area and ensure continued reliable service. The underground transmission line will be located wholly within the Town of Hempstead and will traverse the Villages of Garden City, Malverne and Lynbrook, and will be constructed primarily underground. The project is on schedule for a December 2020 completion. The two-week construction schedule in Garden City entails:

Tuesday, September 8, 2020

Trenching is anticipated to begin on Stewart Avenue from the horizontal directional drilling pit in the grassy sidewalk median to Splice Vault No. 22, located in the right eastbound lane of Stewart Avenue. The work is planned for nighttime hours. Crews will excavate the pavement, install conduits and use cementitious backfill to aid with restoration. Single lane closures on Stewart Avenue can be expected during this activity.
Crews will install Splice Vault No. 21 near the grassy median of Stewart Avenue at Butler Place. Crews will excavate the pavement and soils, use a crane to lift and place the splice vault and restore the area. The work is planned for nighttime hours. The closure of the Butler Place crossover is expected during this activity.
Crews will be completing the tie-in to the open cut trenching at the horizontal directional drill at Stewart Avenue at Village Hall in the northbound lane. The work is planned for daytime hours. Crews will excavate the soils and pavement and connect the HDD conduits to the standard conduits in the street. Single lane closures of Stewart Avenue can be expected during this activity.

Thursday, September 10, 2020

Trenching is anticipated to begin on Cherry Valley Avenue from Splice Vault No. 18, located adjacent to the Garden City Schools administration building in the northbound lane, to the horizontal directional drilling pit, located just north on Cherry Valley Avenue in the northbound lane. The work is planned for daytime hours. Crews will excavate the pavement, install conduits and use cementitious backfill to aid with restoration. Single lane closures on Cherry Valley Avenue can be expected during this activity. Traffic management signs will be placed within the Village to advise motorists.
Trenching is anticipated to begin on Stewart Avenue from Splice Vault No. 22, located in the right eastbound lane to Splice Vault No. 23, located adjacent the Hurricane Wings restaurant in the mall parking lot. Work is planned for nighttime hours. Crews will excavate the pavement, install conduits and use cementitious backfill to aid with restoration. Single lane closures on Stewart Avenue can be expected during this activity. Traffic management signs will be placed within the Village to advise motorists.