Transfer county eyesore over to GN Park District

The Island Now

An Open Letter to Commissioner Carnell Foskey,

Words of encouragement to residents from [Town of North Hempstead] Supervisor Jon Kaiman, to join thousands, who have upgraded their homes improving the value of the neighborhood, while protecting the environment, to have a community town clean-up, on Earth Day.  

It’s more than words of encouragement that are needed to the county, with regard to the intersection of Arrandale Avenue and Wood Road, which is owned by Nassau County.

Last May, 2012, I petitioned the county to transfer the dump to Great Neck Park District. A dumping ground for decades, mosquitoes in the stagnant water, rats having a feast on cast off edibles, potential brush fires, which endanger nearby resident’s homes from the illegal dumping of leaves and dry brush and still yet to be cleared of trees, limbs from the 2010 Microburst.

On the Arrandale side, used by children from the adjacent school, a sidewalk no longer exists, crumbled down to the catch basin below … all of this eyesore and danger, next to a multimillion dollar sports complex, owned by the Great Neck Park District. Not to mention, the gateway to the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy. I take this garbage dump personally, as I have lived across this eyesore for 36 years.

What is surprising to me is that, the Village of Great Neck code enforcement unit, doesn’t do something about it.  

Where is the dialogue with the county?  They give summons to the residents for high grass  and hedges not cut.

May 31,  the open space committee, had a meeting with the Nassau County Department of Parks, armed with photographs, signed petition and had a discussion on what can be done to benefit all sides.  A simple solution, sell the property to Great Neck Park District for a $1,000, they had proposed.  Great Neck Park District would clean up the area, money has been set aside in the 2013 Budget. Keep it as a clean environmental friendly open space, a win-win for the residents while relieving the county of potential liabilities, which they are unable to meet,.

We got so close to a resolution, unfortunately, Peter Schmitt, died, just days before and it was put on hold.

I urged the County Department of Parks to move the process forward.  This is not a Third World country, where the residents of our village has to live next to a dangerous unattended garbage dump.

So do the right thing on 2013 Earth Day, by transferring a small parcel of land to the GNP District.

Jean Pierce

Great Neck

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