At times it seems it will never be resolved. There was one instance where the Winston-Churchill project was held up by a squabble over 30 parking meters that many see as a low-life revenue source. It is no wonder that Mr. Polimeni finally had enough and got out.
Speaking of parking, it must be a prerequisite that all parking be within the structures of the three planned apartment projects.
The recently reconfigured Raines building at Mineola Boulevard and Old Country Road has below, at and above ground level parking.
What I do see wrong with the Raines building is that it is a clumsy location for stores and a restaurant. Many older apartment houses in Mineola have contained parking. Much of the land area between Old Country Road and the LIRR is wasted as parking lots.
There has been slight mention of traffic study but no results have been shared in print. I will share my findings. The morning of Aug. 20, 2012 I took it on myself and sat on the steps of 250 Old Country Road across from West Street and counted the vehicles passing in both directions from 8:50 to 9:00 a.m. The count was 282 and times six would make 1,692 in an hour. I returned that evening and from 5:10 to 5:20 p.m. counted 333 and again times 6 is 1,998 in an hour.
I called it light to moderate traffic; no honking. On 3rd Street between 3rd and 4th avenues there was no traffic; only an occasional vehicle. The same was true for 4th Ave. but with the added NICE buses leaving the terminal.
I wish to add that for convenience that there should be keyed pedestrian entrances on Old Country Road and 3rd Avenue which could also serve as emergency exits.
The main entrance would be on the north side which I picture clearly.
I decided to see what activity a large apartment complex has. On Aug. 21, 2012 from 8:30 to 9:00 a.m., 46 vehicles entered or left Birchwood Court. That would be 92 in an hour. It had no effect on traffic.
A few years ago Mineola redid some sidewalks with ‘pavers’ and added planters. The planters put on Jericho Turnpike were not too bad and there the sidewalks are wide. I estimate that a majority of them have now disappeared.
On downtown 2nd Street with narrow sidewalks the village dumped these ugly white oversized monstrosities that someone must have wanted to get rid of.
With the parking meters, sign posts, fire hydrants and these boxes half of the sidewalk is taken up. In winter with snow and ice it is a real mess. It would look much more aesthetic with just a clean sidewalk but the people are screwed in to the situation as they are village property and have to be lived with.
It is too much like kiddie kindergarten and people have the burden of keeping them neat or possibly face fines.
Just having these three apartment projects completed would be such a great amenity to Mineola but the mayor and trustees want millions more from the developers. It hits one like a shakedown in order for the developers to get the business; pay off, payola.
And what do they want to do with the millions? More planters that the people don’t want. I don’t see any accountability in it either. That’s a lot of money. Who will get it? Naturally, the developers will care for the perimeters of their properties.
What is striking is that there is never a word spoken about what the people of Mineola want or that they have ever been consulted.
It is as though they are not included and dictated to. What is for certain is that the people of Mineola will be living with what is done long after the mayor and trustees are gone from this world.
As far as we are concerned, Garden City is out in the boonies somewhere. A Tom Trypuc (Mineola American Aug 15, 2012) referred to our lovely (250Old Country Road) future apartment house as a potential monstrosity. He went on to say “We in Garden City are going to have to endure years of construction and dirt and noise. We get nothing out of this.”
Does Garden City want some payola too?
He called the potential traffic problem an “abomination.” To be sure, I looked it up and it’s a nasty word. I shared my traffic example of Birchwood Court On the lighter side I would say don’t be silly.
So I say to Garden City that during construction should it be a bit gritty, eat our dust.
Charles Samek
Mineola
