The following is not a news article but an opinion and in response to your news article regarding Manhasset/Long Island “being Full” and cannot accept any more residents, specifically regarding a proposed mixed-use development on the Macy’s parking lot.
For anyone traveling on either Northern Boulevard or Community Drive in the Great Neck and Manhasset areas between around 3 p.m. and 7 p.m., the traffic is an excruciating nightmare! Like midtown Manhattan at rush hour!
For anyone trying to get to NorthShore Hospital or any of the surrounding medical facilities, this can even be life-threatening! The roads are supersaturated.
There will always be complainers who say ” not in my neighborhood” for one reason or another but in this case, it is a very valid complaint.
I have been living in Great Neck for 45 years and personally witnessed the increased development with accompanying increased traffic.
In fact, as an architect, urban planner and former planning board member and chairmen of the Architectural Design Review Board of the Village of Thomaston, you could say that I was involved with some of this development (which was very carefully studied and on properties that were zoned properly and did not need variances).
But the plan for a mixed-use development on Macy’s parking lot is only a money-making proposition for the builders but a disaster for the area residents, medical professionals and others currently living or working in the area and should be rejected.
Sure, we need to attract more young families, deal with empty storefronts, etc. but this proposal won’t accomplish this and only increase existing problems. There will have to be other solutions.
By the way, the renderings of the proposed development are beautiful and hopefully, the developers can find a more suitable location for their plans.
Arthur M. Cohen
Great Neck
