The North Hempstead Town Board voted to limit an area of the Port Washington Public Parking District to be used only by Long Island Railroad commuters at its Tuesday, Feb. 10 meeting.
The parking lot is located at the intersection of Bayview Avenue and Haven Avenue/Railroad Avenue by the Port Washington LIRR train station.
Town Council Member Dennis Walsh was the sole member of the board to vote against the bill, citing concerns about the new law’s enforceability.
Town Council Member Mariann Dalimonte said the legislation was needed to improve safety. She said a union member was almost hit by a vehicle driving recklessly in the parking lot.
She also said that previously, the town required drivers to be LIRR commuters, but when the town changed its parking pass registration from paper to electronic forms, it no longer asked drivers to confirm it.
“It’s the most dangerous parking lot in the Town of North Hempstead,” said Tom McDonough, president of Civil Service Employees Association Unit 7555.
McDonough and Dalimonte both said the parking lot is used by many students attending nearby schools. McDonough also said he was worried about ensuring people adhere to the law.
Chief Deputy Town Attorney Robert Bogle said he was concerned about the enforcement of the new legislation.
“There are difficulties in enforcement here. A lot of it is going to rely on good faith,” Bogle said. “If you have a clever defendant, that defendant will be able to, more likely than not, get off if they are willing to be more unscrupulous.”
Walsh said he worried about people just lying to get their way out of any tickets issued. “How long do you think it’s gonna take before everybody knows what to say?”
Dalimonte pushed back. “They have the ability to enforce this in the district.”
Council Member Christine Liu said, “Technically, there is no violation right now.” She argued that making it a violation would at least give the town the legal means to right the problem.
The board also unanimously passed a bond resolution appropriating $1,310,00 for capital improvements to the New Hyde Park District.
Resident Thomas John voiced concern at Tuesday’s meeting about the cost of the park district improvements.
“How much will it cost the taxpayer?” he asked.
Parks & Recreation Commissioner Kelly Gillen gave a rundown of the three main improvements the board approved for Clinton G. Martin Park.
The most significant improvements will be to the kiddie pool at the park. Gillen said, in 2018, the kiddie pool underwent reconstruction and “it opened with issues from day one.”
Gillen said the park district made several fixes throughout the years that rarely lasted more than a season, but the pool continued to leak.
She said that after consulting with two engineers, they believe adding a new liner, which the board approved, is a long-term solution.
The board also approved a $2,631,790 contract to Port Washington Fire Department, Inc., a $492,676 contract to Glenwood Co. No. 1, Inc., a $1,603,307 contract to Albertson H. & L., E. & H. Co. No. 1, a $2,020,800 contract to Carle Place H. & L. & H. Co. No. 1, a $223,376 contract to Alert E., H., L. & H. Co. No. 1, Inc, a $426,575.00 contract to Vigilant E. H. & L. Co., Inc., a $1,134,859 to three Roslyn fire companies, and a $169,250.00 to the New Hyde Park Fire District.
The other projects the board approved were the resurfacing of tennis and pickleball courts, and the increase in the waste line.
The board also heard public comments from resident Charlene Prounis, a regular user of the Harbor Links Golf Course in Port Washington.
Prounis has been meeting with the board for months, raising concerns about the number of golf outings held at Harbor Links ever since Brooke Holdings LLC began operating the course last year.
“I’m here on behalf of a group of golfers from Harbor Links that rely on it as a public golf course,” Prounis said. “Because the town has not acted to set standards, the golf operator is having as many outings as she sees fit.”
Prounis said that this violated the public trust doctrine. “Harbor Links is not a private club that can have as many private outings as it sees fit. It is a public parkland,” she said.
“There’s a public violation occurring.”
North Hempstead Town Attorney Rich Nicolello said he believed the contract’s language was clear.
“My position is that the contract does not need any clarification,” he said.
The board also removed a No Parking sign from Rushmore Avenue in Carle Place due to complaints from a resident on the block who said he could not even park in front of his house.
The next town board meeting will be held on Wednesday, March 4, at 7 p.m.
