Demolition of the abandoned commercial building at 124 Covert Ave. in New Hyde Park is almost finished, and the elimination of the at-grade Long Island Rail Road crossing’s timeline has not changed, village Trustee Rainer Burger said Tuesday night.
The demolition is now only subject to some minor cleanup efforts and laying of foundation, Burger said at a meeting of the village Board of Trustees. The work is part of the elimination of seven grade crossings on the main line under the LIRR’s third track project.
The relocation of utility lines will continue into the new year on Covert, Second and Third Avenue.
Relocation of utility poles has also begun, and one resident pointed out to the board that a mistake was apparently made, and that contractors missed their mark, placing two poles several feet away from their intended location. Mayor Lawrence Montreuil said the village would look into the issue.
Farther down the tracks, at the New Hyde Park Road grade crossing, demolition of a commercial building at 115 New Hyde Park Road is slated for early next year, Burger said.
The grade crossing eliminations, which will eventually lead to improvements in traffic, are the result of a plan by the LIRR to build an underpass at each location. As part of that effort, 180 piles will need to be driven into the ground, Burger said. Contractors may begin driving the piles earlier than expected, possibly at the end of January or beginning of February, and the “less noisy” work will occur at night, Burger said.
A concern Montreuil brought up was the impact on neighboring homes from the installation of the piles. Contractors will use vibrational forces to enter and secure the piles into the ground, limiting the disruption for nearby residents. Vibration monitors will be present to gauge the impact of the work, but initial surveying of the area projected minimal disruption and impact, Burger said.
Village resident Kurt Langjahr also addressed the board about the current reassessment controversy in Nassau County.
Langjahr, during the administration of County Executive Edward Mangano, allowed assessors to enter his home and give him what was then deemed an appropriate assessment of nearly $450,000. Under the new reassessment, Langjahr’s property is valued at $669,000.
“I can’t handle that increase,” Langjahr said. “I understand housing prices fluctuate but not like that.”
Montreuil said that the village, along with trustees from the Village of Floral Park and Village of Stewart Manor, will gather for a meeting to discuss reassessment issues on Thursday, Jan. 17, at 7 p.m. at the New Hyde Park Road School. The village plans to invite County Executive Laura Curran and County Assessor David Moog.
The village’s next meeting is on Jan. 3.
