After spending the last decade on the Village of Roslyn Estates’ Board of Zoning Appeals, and serving the last two years as its deputy chairman, Rodney Khazzam is seeking a position on the village’s Board of Trustees that will be vacated by Eyal Isaac at the conclusion of his current two-year term later this month.
Khazzam is running in the March 18 election on the Team Vision RE Party line alongside Roslyn Estates Mayor Jeff Schwartzberg and Deputy Mayor Jeff Lindenbaum.
“I’ve thought about [running for the Board of Trustees] in the past, in previous years where there was an open seat, but I felt I had more to do on the zoning board,” said Khazzam, a Roslyn Estates resident since 2003.
“I really think it’s the right time. I have a lot to offer the village and think my experience on the zoning board has opened my knowledge of the village,” he said. “I take a great pride in serving the community.”
Khazzam said his transition to the Board of Trustees would be smooth due to his background in the construction industry and his knowledge of ongoing projects due to his time on the Board of Zoning Appeals.
“I have experience in reading plans and understanding construction from its inception in design and blueprints to its ultimate completion,” he said. “It was a real advantage on the Board of Zoning Appeals and one of the reasons I stayed on the board for so long.”
Khazzam said he feels a bit reluctant to leave the Board of Zoning Appeals because his position there, in addition to attending board of trustees meetings, enabled him to have a well-rounded understanding of ongoing projects within the village.
But one of his primary goals in becoming a trustee would be to increase communication among the village’s boards of trustees, planning, architectural review and zoning appeals, which he said would improve the quality of government throughout Roslyn Estates.
“I really see a bright future in our village. Our village has gotten a lot of attention lately from younger families moving in, and it’s important to understand that to attract younger families, you have to understand that lifestyles change and people will want to come in and improve properties,” Khazzam said.
“There’s a real balancing act that has to take place there,” he added. “We want people to improve the economy of Roslyn Estates without compromising the unique charm of Roslyn Estates that made people want to move here in the first place.”
Polls will be open in Roslyn Estates from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. at village hall, located at 25 The Tulips.
