The Town of North Hempstead board voted on Tuesday night to restrict smoking in town parks and beaches, to areas to be designated for it
Smoking will be prohibited on beaches and within 50 feet of buildings at any park or beach. Signs will be posted in the next two weeks to clearly delineate where smoking is permitted.
“We agree that this is something whose time has come,” Town of North Hempstead Supervisor Jon Kaiman said.
The board’s vote followed a public campaign to restrict smoking in public places led by the Tobacco Action Coalition of Long Island.
Carol Meschkow, Nassau project communicator for the coalition, told the board prior its vote of the dangers of second-hand smoke to non-smokers.
The town’s parks, she said, “should be places people can go to enjoy fresh air.”
Kaiman said the town Department of Parks and Recreation had conducted “a thoughtful study” of all the public spaces where smoking will now be restricted.
The town board had been considering the restriction over the past several months, according to Kaiman
Donald Zauner, commissioner of the town Department of Parks and Recreation, said he and members of his department had visited the larger park areas among the 56 park areas throughout the town. He said the department planned to post signs on buildings to instruct people on the prohibition against smoking with 50 feet of any building.
Signs were already planned and designed by the parks and recreation department, anticipating the town board’s adoption of the resolution. The resolution gives Zauner authorization to designate the smoking areas for the town’s park and recreation facilities.
“We have the designated areas lined up,” Zauner said.
Zauner said members of the public and members of the parks and recreation staff would likely collaborate on enforcing the ban on smoking outside of areas where it’s specifically permitted.
“I think it will be a team effort between the people in the park and the staff members,” Zauner said.
In other action, the board voted to continue a public hearing on a local law to amend the town code on unsafe property and buildings at its June 14 meeting.
The law is intended to raise maintenance standards on owners property for unoccupied structures.
“Instead of making sure old buildings are boarded up, it encourages owners to restore them and build them up,” said Councilman Fred Pollack.
Dan Donatelli, president of Residents for a Beautiful Port Washington, said that several buildings posed a problem.
“We are close to turning a corner. The need for this legislation is clear,” he said.
Kaiman said he had reservations about some of the language in the law, notably a requirement for an owner of an unsafe structure to register it with the town Building Department within 10 days after the unsafe condition initially exists.
“What I’m thinking is there needs to be a determination by the building department to decide a building is unsafe before the 10 days kick in,” Kaiman said.
He said he was concerned about the town board passing an “unenforceable law,” and ultimately suggested continuing the measure for the moment over “language issues.”
A majority of residents from the neighborhood commented in favor of alternate-side-of-the-street parking restrictions on First Street in Garden City Park, instead of prohibiting parking 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. as it is now.
The town board also scheduled public hearings on June 14 for:
* Considering an amendment to approve a site-plan application for North Shore University Hospital’s proposed expansion of its surgical pavilion.
* Considering proposed alterations to the Great Neck Library for a two-story addition modification of the existing mezzanine, increasing square footage from 47,125 to 55,750.
