The Floral Park village board appointed Keith Conway as associate village justice at their Jan. 6 meeting before hearing public comment, largely focused on the proposed Stella Cerrone apartment development.
Conway will fill the unexpired term of Associate Village Justice Perry Criscitelli, whose term expires in April. Conway was sworn in during the meeting by his predecessor and will assist the Village Justice Douglas Hayden in village court proceedings.
“I want to continue to be consistent and fair to everyone who comes into the court,” said Conway, who worked more than 25 years as the village’s assistant prosecuting attorney, according to Mayor Kevin Fitzgerald.
The village board approved and made its formal announcement of elections to be held on March 18 for two trustee seats, those currently held by Jennifer Stewart and Michael Longobardi. Both trustees intend to seek re-election, according to Village Clerk Joseph O’Grady.
Residents of the village filled the public comment section of the meeting with concerns over the proposed Stella Cerrone development on Jericho Turnpike.
The board is currently considering the applicant’s request for multilevel below-ground parking.
A public meeting will be held on Jan. 20, at which the applicant will respond to comments from the village board and residents.
After presenting questions to the applicant at its December hearing, the board left public comment open for residents who want to share comments or questions with the applicant. The deadline for public input to be entered into the record to be addressed by the applicant is Jan. 8 at 8:30 a.m.
“I wanted to know what the rationale is,” said resident Cathy Buckley, “considering the scale and the scope of this project.”
Other residents echoed her sentiment, focusing on emergency service capacity, school board enrollment, traffic congestion and the village’s identity as their main concerns with the project.
Village trustees urged residents to direct their concerns to the applicant and said that the board is not taking its decision lightly.
Members of the public questioned the veracity of the applicant’s studies regarding the proposal’s expected effect on traffic and school district enrollment.
The applicant presented their studies under sworn oath to give only the truth, said Fitzgerald.
The board said that Islandwide Engineering and Land Surveying is reviewing the studies on behalf of the village and will attend the Jan. 20 meeting to present their findings.
The board also appointed Floral Park resident Ashley Corcoran to the position of assistant prosecuting attorney.
“I’m very excited to take on the position and see what it has in store and be able to give back to the community,” said Corcoran.
Trustees also approved minutes from previous meetings, the schedule of accounts payable, the addition of Jack McKay to the volunteer fire department, an employee’s roll-over of vacation days, and reservations for the use of public facilities.
