Monday, February 26, 2007

Vote at Usual Location for March 27 Special Election

According to the Nassau County Board of Elections, voting times and locations for the special election to elect a county legislator for the 11th Legislative District will be from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Tuesday, March 27, at your usual polling place (see below for additional postings on this topic).

The county's 11th Legislative District includes all of Glenwood Landing and the portion of Glen Head west of Glen Cove Avenue. Residents in these areas usually vote at either the Community Center on Glen Head Road or at Glenwood Landing School.

The 11th legislative district also includes a small portion of Sea Cliff, as well as all or portions of Sands Point, Port Washington, Port Washington North, Baxter Estates, Manorhaven, Flower Hill, Roslyn Harbor, Roslyn, Roslyn Estates, East Hills, Roslyn Heights, Albertson, and Garden City Park.

The Board of Elections says it plans to confirm voting times and locations by mail. The Board of Elections can be contacted at 571-2411.

Saturday, February 24, 2007

Glenwood / Glen Head Civic Concerned About Traffic Impact of Glen Cove Creek Development on Shore Road

The following letter concerning the Glen Isle development proposed for Glen Cove Creek has been sent to Thomas Scott, Chairman of the Glen Cove Planning Board, Glen Cove City Hall, 9 Glen Street, Glen Cove 11542, with a copy to Mayor Ralph Suozzi:

We are writing to you to express concern about the scale and scope of the Glen Isle project. The civic association is particularly concerned about traffic impacts, especially on Shore Road in Sea Cliff and Glenwood Landing and on Glenwood Road and Bryant Avenue in Roslyn Harbor and Roslyn.

This route is a well known “cut-through” linking Glen Cove with Northern Boulevard, the Willis Avenue entrance to the LIE, the Roslyn Road entrance to Northern State, and local destination points such as Manhasset, Port Washington, and Mineola. Anyone who frequents the area can testify to the vast increase in the number of vehicles using this route in recent years. As a result of this increase, driving times have become unpredictable. Furthermore, trips that once took no more than 10- to 15- minutes now frequently take 45 minutes or more.

You don’t need an engineering degree to have noted the change or to realize that the intensive development planned in Glen Cove will increase the amount of traffic on the Shore Road-Glenwood Road-Roslyn Road route. Yet, it does not appear that the Preliminary Environmental Impact Statement adequately addresses this concern, if it does so at all.

Because Glen Cove Avenue and Glenwood Road in Glenwood Landing provide access to the Shore Road-Bryant Avenue-Roslyn Road route and are frequently employed when the already overloaded Glen Cove Road-Northern Boulevard intersection backs up, we also are concerned about the impact of the Glen Isle project on these thoroughfares.

We think that the EIS must contain a realistic plan for addressing the many mutual traffic needs of Locust Valley, Glen Cove, Glenwood Landing, Glen Head, Roslyn Harbor, and Roslyn. We also think it must take into consideration cumulative impacts, including the new developments that are currently under review in nearby communities and the amount of open space remaining for development.

In addition, we believe that the height and footprint of the Glen Isle project will significantly impair view corridors from vantage points on both land and water. We consider view corridors to be a important public benefit. We think that the EIS must address ways to minimize the building height and footprint and how view corridors can be maximized.

We apologize for waiting so long to register formal comments and trust that these issues will be addressed.

Who Will Represent Glenwood Landing in the County Legislature--Cast Your Vote To Help Decide

Louis Chisari of New Hyde Park is the Republican candidate running for the Nassau County Legislature in the 11th District according to a posting on the Newsday weblog Spin Cycle. Wayne Wink of Roslyn is the Democratic candidate (see Civic Spot posting Musical Chairs Upstate Affect Glenwood Landing & Glen Head, February 18).

Glenwood Landing is the 11th District's northernmost community. A special election is necessary to fill the county seat vacated by Democrat Craig Johnson, who recently won another special election to fill the New York State Senate seat vacated by Republican Michael Balboni, the state's recently appointed homeland security chief.

The 11th District election is scheduled for Tuesday, March 27. As of this posting, the time and location for voting do not appear to have been announced. To find out if you are in the 11th Legislative District, call the Nassau County Board of Elections (571-2411) or check the map on the county website.

Mr. Wink currently serves on the North Hempstead Town Council. A Newsday article published on February 21 reported that both candidates are attorneys. Mr. Wink, 40, was an aide to Mr. Johnson's late mother, Barbara, when she was a North Hempsetad town board member and a county legislator representing the 11th district. Mr. Chisari, 38, ran unsuccessfully for North Hempstead town clerk two years ago and for State Assembly last year.

According to the Spin Cycle posting, Mr. Wink is endorsed by the Independence and Working Families Parties, and Mr. Chisari is endorsed by the Conservative Party.

Mr. Johnson's Senate district does not include Glenwood Landing or Glen Head, which are represented by Republican Carl Marcellino. Similarly, Mr. Wink's town council district does not include the Town of North Hempstead portion of Glenwood Landing, which is represented by Democrat Tom Dwyer.

Sunday, February 18, 2007

Musical Chairs Upstate Affect Glenwood Landing & Glen Head

County Executive Tom Suozzi has called a special election for March 27 to fill Craig Johnson's county legislative seat. Mr. Johnson represented Nassau County Legislative District 11, which includes Glenwood Landing, parts of Glen Head and Sea Cliff, Roslyn Harbor, Roslyn, Flower Hill, Port Washington, and Sands Point.

Last week, Democrats announced that North Hempstead Town Councilman Wayne Wink would be that party's candidate for the seat vacated by Mr. Johnson. Republicans are expected to announce that party's candidate on Tuesday. Mr. Wink was one of two North Hempstead Councilman who in November did not vote to change the zoning of the Harbor Fuel / Hinfin / Glen Harbor property from industrial to multifamily residential (see TNH Grants Zoning Change on GWL Waterfront, November 15, 2006). At the time, Mr. Wink commented that he thought too many details were unresolved to proceed.

The county seat is vacant because earlier this month Craig Johnson, a Democrat, won a special election to fill the New York State Senate seat vacated by Michael Balboni, a Republican. Mr. Balboni is the state's new chief of homeland security. He represented New York States' 7th Senate District, which includes Roslyn and Roslyn Harbor but not Glenwood Landing or Glen Head.

Mr. Johnson began representing County Legislative District 11 in 2000 after winning another special election held after the death of his mother, who was his immediate predecessor in District 11. Glenwood Landing and Glen Head's previous legislative representatives include Democrat Brian Muellers and Republican John Canning.

The Nassau County Legislature and original legislative district boundaries were established in 1993, replacing the Board of Supervisors. The original district boundaries were redrawn in 2003. To find out if you are in the 11th Legislative District, call the Nassau County Board of Elections (571-2411) or check the map on the county website.