Great Neck Plaza finds toughest road to shovel

Richard Jacques

Although six major snowstorms have dumped equal amounts of snow in the Great Neck area this winter, the impact of the accumulations has varied widely among villages.

Nassau County responded to 30 calls involving auto accidents between the hours of midnight and to 9 a.m. due to a mix of freezing rain and snow which fell on the area early Wednesday. The ice, coupled with above-normal amounts of snow which have fallen in the region have made for some villages reeling.

With nearly 250 businesses, a multi-level downtown parking garage and parking meters all hampered by the extreme weather – the hardest hit area this season is apparently Great Neck Plaza.

“The big problem is going to be overtime,” said Great Neck Plaza administrator Pat O’Byrne. “We never have gotten storm after storm like this.”

For 17 days since Nov. 8, the Great Neck peninsula has felt at least a trace of snow with up to 50 inches reported in some areas, according to weather statistics.

Sand and salt costs are under control in the Plaza, according to O’Byrne, but with parking meter revenue down significantly due to increased suspensions of parking meter regulations because of the snow, budget shortfalls will have to be made up elsewhere.

“We hope that we don’t spend in other areas and utilize that,” O’Byrne said.

The Plaza’s municipal parking garage has also lost revenue because it has allowed free parking following heavy snow days.

According to the forecast, this week’s storm has the potential to generate accumulation amounts similar to those of earlier storms – which is bad news for all village roads.

Bordered by the Horace Harding Expressway, Lakeville Road and two service roads, the Village of Lake Success feels the affects of the snow a little differently than in the Plaza.

“Our biggest problem is that we are dependent on Nassau County for main artery access,” said Village of Lake Success Trustee Fred Handsman.

As village liaison to the Department of Public Works, Handsman said Nassau County is doing a good job with plowing, but the village sometimes has to step in and help before the county can get there which costs money.

“If a particular street has not been plowed, we will get to it for the residents sake,” said Handsman.

The Village of Great Neck is also feeling the affects of one of the worst winters in many years.

Village Mayor Kreitzman said the heavy snow has resulted in increased employee overtime and high salt and maintenance fees that are taking their toll on the budget.

We haven’t run the exact numbers yet but “at this point, we are getting close to our budget,” said Kreitzman on Tuesday.

Mostly residential villages like Thomaston seem to have it the easiest this winter season.

“It’s cost us a little,” said Thomaston Mayor Robert Stern. “We’ve got it covered.”

New York, with 31.9 inches of snow to date, has already received more snow than it does during an entire winter, according to the National Weather Service. The average annual snowfall in Central Park is 22.4 inches. This season’s total includes a nine-inch snowstorm last week and the 20-inch blizzard in late December.

The good news?

While snowfall to date has been high, Great Neck remains far from the record-breaking 1995-96 winter season which produced more than 75 inches of snow in New York City and 107.6 inches in Boston.

Reach reporter Rich Jacques by e-mail at rjacques@theislandnow.com or by phone at 516.307.1045 x203

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