Deputy Mayor Lynn Pombonyo
Police Department
January was a busy and challenging month for our Police Department. This was due, in part, to several snow events. In particular, the snow and ice storm of Sunday to Monday, January 25th to 26th brought icy, heavy snow, along with dangerously frigid temperatures, that have now lasted for more than three weeks. We commend our Police and other first responders for their constant service during these difficult weeks.
Nonetheless, our Police and Neighborhood Aids worked diligently through it all. The Police were involved in 806 incidents requiring their service in January. Of these, 229 or 28% of these incidents were traffic stops, and 96 or 12% were aided cases, an unusually high number, also involving our ambulance service and Rescue Company.
Of these 806 January Police incidents, there were 146 violations issued. Motorists’ failure to stop at stop signs resulted in the most violations, 44.
In January, our Detectives investigated several crimes that included petit larcenies (a cell phone and porch pirating or stealing recently delivered packages from the fronts of houses); larceny (check washing to remove the payer’s writing, leaving a blank check); and an auto break-in. Our Detectives and Patrol Officers both make arrests, and there were two in January, one for DWI and another for an outstanding warrant.
In January, 966 parking violations were issued with 25 for parking in handicapped spaces without permits, and 15 for parking within fifteen feet of fire hydrants. These two infractions are particularly ill-advised and dangerous, especially at this time of year. Those with handicapping conditions have greater difficulty negotiating snow covered and icy parking lots and streets, and need the accessibility that these handicapped parking spaces offer. In the case of fire hydrants, the importance of keeping them fully accessible to our firefighters can make significant differences in their ability to save lives and property, as all of Nassau County has seen over the past several weeks.
Ongoing strategic training plays an important role in this work that our Police Department does. The New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS) is a valuable resource for law enforcement agencies across the State with its expert, up-to-date training in the many complex aspects of policing and its grant funding, both of which FPPD utilizes regularly.
In late January, FPPD hosted DCJS and approximately forty Police Officers from all over New York State (including five FPPD Officers) for a two-day training session. The first part, a refresher for our Officers, focused on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s “DWI Detection and Standardized Field Sobriety Testing,” and updated law enforcement officers on the latest, proper federal procedures and protocols.
Building on the Officers’ current skills in DWI detection and field sobriety testing, instruction moved to “Recognizing the Cannabis Impaired Motorist” training. This was designed to enhance the Officers’ skills in detecting the cannabis impaired motorist. Instruction focused on contemporary cannabis issues and the differences between recreational and medical cannabis. There was also instruction and group hands-on practice in properly administering three different tests that can further inform an Officer’s observations and suspicions of cannabis impairment.
All of the Police participants were highly engaged throughout, and the feedback was very positive.
The Library
Our Floral Park Public Library is a place where new and unique opportunitues are popping up all the time. The first of these in March will be “The Quiet Reading Book Club” in which patrons are invited to bring a good book to the Quiet Room, read for an hour, then chat about their books, or any topic that the group prefers. The Inaugural Meeting will be Tuesday, March 3rd at 7:00 PM. No registration is required. Just show up with your good book to enjoy and share with other literary fans.
The next big opportunity will come as we celebrate the 122nd birthday of Theodor Seuss Geisel on March 2nd. “Read Across Floral Park” will begin on March 2nd in honor of our beloved Dr. Seuss and The Cat in the Hat, Horton Hatches the Egg, How the Grinch Stole Christmas, Oh, the Places You’ll Go! and the other almost fifty books that Theodor Geisel wrote and illustrated for fifty-three years, between 1937 and 1990.
To “Read Across Floral Park” all you have to do is take a photo of someone reading in Floral Park or nearby. Photos may feature reading to a child (and visa versa), an adult or a pet; friends reading to each other; reading in groups such as teams; and reading in other enjoyable Floral Park or neighboring settings. Photos may be emailed to: readacrossfloralpark2026@gmail.com
between Monday, March 2nd and Monday, March 16th. Four photos will be randomly selected for gift cards to: Tulip Bagels, Village Pizza, Gyro Village and Tulip Bakery.
Enjoy these unique March opportunities to celebrate reading in and around our Village, new and favorite books, and our world famous writer and artist, Dr. Seuss.
Chambers of Commerce and Our Businesses
Our Floral Park and Covert Avenue Chambers of Commerce are strong advocates for our Village, businesses and their customers. At a recent Floral Park Chamber meeting, “President Shane Parouse emphasized the Chamber’s focus on economic vitality stating, ‘As a Chamber of Commerce, our focus is business and the local economy, and how development here relates to helping our businesses. That’s the way we are looking at this, and I think it is a good thing that development and renewal of commercial areas is happening. Over on Covert Avenue there is lots of change happening there with new stores and the housing development. It means more businesses and more residents living here. That will translate to taxes generated and spending money, hopefully with our local merchants’ ” (as reported by Rikki Massand in the Floral Park Villager newspaper, 2/13/26).
Join the Floral Park Chamber’s March Dinner Meeting for stimulating discussions about our local businesses, and their roles in and contributions to our Village. All are invited to Swing the Teapot on Verbena Avenue, Thursday, March 5th at 6:00 PM for interesting Chamber and Village updates, too. For meeting registration and membership information, contact: floralparkchamber.org
Next, check out the Covert Avenue Chamber website’s “Join Our Chamber: Become A Member” page to find out how you can be a part of this strong business alliance. For membership information and other, contact: covertavenuechamber.org
And, when you’re planning your March schedule, be sure to include SHOPPING, DINING and CELEBRATING LOCAL here in Floral Park and Stewart Manor.
Trustee Frank Chiara
Department of Public Works
The Highway Department crews continue their snow removal efforts throughout the Village. A number of potholes have been filled throughout the area. As winter is the season when potholes appear, residents are encouraged to report any large and dangerous potholes to the Department of Public Works as soon as possible. The crews will continue to monitor the condition of our streets and fill potholes as necessary.
The Maintenance Department has cleaned all Village buildings and is paying special attention to any icing conditions surrounding them. Additionally, upgrades within the buildings are being performed at this time.
Our DPW mechanics have been busy maintaining the snow plows and salt trucks to ensure they are ready for any future storms.
Despite the heavy snowfall, our Sanitation Department has remained active, collecting 40 tons of household waste, 4 tons of paper, 2 tons of commingled plastic, and 8 tons of bulk rubbish.
Thank you to our DPW staff for doing a great job and keeping our Village roads and sidewalks safe and clear.
As a reminder, please do not throw snow onto our roads. If you have a fire hydrant near your house, kindly clear any snow around it to ensure it is accessible for our Fire Department. In emergencies, every second counts, and lives can be saved. Thank you!
Trustee Jennifer Stewart
Fire Department
During the month of January, the Floral Park Fire Department responded to 41 calls, and 9 mutual aid responses. NYU Langone responded to 91 ambulance calls and the Rescue Company responded to 13 ambulance calls, for a total of 104 rescue calls. As the Fire Department responded to fire calls, they came across fire hydrants that were at times frozen, and more unfortunately, hydrants that were not dug out of the snow. It is very important, if you have a fire hydrant on your property, that you dig it out after a snow storm. It saves precious time in an emergency.
Congratulations to Rescue Company member James Hickman as he retires as Assistant Chief from the Nassau County Fire Marshal’s Office. His final walkout is on March 4th. We wish him well in his retirement and thank him for his 32 years of service to the County.
MTA
Train service will be impacted this coming weekend, from 12:30 AM Saturday, February 21st until 4:00 AM on Monday, February 23rd, as the MTA continues signal upgrades between the Floral Park and Queens Village stations. All eastbound trains will be skipping Elmont-UBS Arena, Queens Village, and Hollis stations. Additionally, there will be no train service on the Hempstead Branch in either direction. There will be service at the Floral Park Station from branches other than the Hempstead Branch.
Please see the MTA’s website at MTA.info or the MTA’s Train Time app for updated information.
The LIRR is currently interviewing contractors for the station renovation projects at the Floral Park and Bellerose stations
Trustee Michael Longobardi
Building Department
Work on the West End Drainage Project is expected to start on Monday, February 23rd, depending on the weather. The main location for this project is on the Belmont Property at the end of Calla Avenue, with additional work affecting several streets in the West End.
A second pre-construction planning meeting was held today with the contractor and various parties involved in the project. There will be a resident meeting tomorrow night, February 18th, at 7 PM to discuss the project at Village Hall and on Zoom. You may also see equipment begin staging on site as early as Thursday or Friday this week.
Here are some updates on the various construction projects in our Village:
- Any additional meetings for the Stella’s mixed-use development project will be announced once scheduled. Please continue to visit the Village website for updates.
- Construction work for the proposed restaurant at 99 Covert Avenue will continue for the next several months and is expected to be completed in Spring 2026.
- The Covert Avenue Fire Property construction is well underway and is estimated to be completed in Summer 2026.
- The Storage Post at 50 Carnation Avenue has submitted a zoning application to expand its storage buildings. This case was approved with conditions by the Board of Zoning Appeals, the Board of Trustees, and the Architectural Review Board. The buildings will next be reviewed by the Building Department for permitting. Construction start dates will be announced once they are known.
- Construction of the two new homes at the subdivision of 32 Orchid and one at 116 Miller Avenue is expected to begin in the next few weeks.
- The renovation of 212 Jericho Turnpike, formerly Firestone, is ongoing. The owner will operate an auto repair shop in the rear portion of the first floor and retail or business space in the rest of the building.
- The King Arms Building at 60 Plainfield Ave is still undergoing fire restoration, and a date for pre-occupancy is not currently available.
The Village of Floral Park would like to remind homeowners and businesses of the importance of keeping fire hydrants free of ice and snow so firefighters can connect quickly without delay in the event of an emergency. Buried hydrants cause significant delays, increasing the danger and difficulty of fighting a fire. Please keep your neighbors and yourself safe by clearing hydrants. Per Village Code, clearing snow and ice from hydrants in the areas adjacent to your property is the responsibility of the property owner, occupant, or other person having charge of the premises within 12 hours of the cessation of precipitation. Non-conformance may lead to a summons and possible fine. Please do your part to keep everyone safe!
Recreation and Pool
Winter classes are in full swing. There is still time to sign up for Spring Tennis and Pickleball. The Park is still closed due to snow and ice, and staff are working to clear it, but the weather has made it a slow process.
Last week, the Recreation and Pool Committees held their first meetings of the new year. New programs were proposed and discussed, as well as plans for this year’s Pool booklet. There will be a follow-up meeting soon to finalize plans, and we look forward to introducing some new activities for the Summer 2026 season.
Town-Village Aircraft Safety & Noise Abatement Committee (TVASNAC)
The next TVASNAC meeting will be held on Monday, February 23, 2026, at Town Hall, One Washington Street, Hempstead. If you wish to make a noise complaint regarding air traffic, you can call 1-800-225-1071. You may also visit the Village website, where links to TVASNAC noise complaint resources can be found on the homepage under the TVASNAC contact information section.
Mayor Kevin Fitzgerald
Tonight, Trustee Longobardi mentioned that residents who fail to clear snow around fire hydrants may receive a fine. I think it needs to be stated clearly that it will lead to a fine. The next time we have a significant snowfall, fines will be issued for any fire hydrants that have not been cleared of snow.
I would like to extend my thanks to the Floral Park Fire and Police Departments, not only for the job they do every day, but also for their heroic efforts last week during the fire on Verbena Avenue. Thank you very much for all you continue to do for our community.
Last week, Trustee Chiara and I attended another Belmont Community Advisory Board meeting. We received updates about the ongoing activities at Belmont Park and the progress being made. At this time, they hope that opening day will be on September 18, 2026. We are all looking forward to that.
Lastly, I’d like to thank the Long Island Press and the Floral Park Villager for being with us tonight. Thank you for your continuous coverage.
