New Hyde Park residents will soon have to prove they live in the village to play basketball at Nuzzi Park.
The village removed the basketball hoops at the park about three weeks ago after a series of tiffs involving teens from nearby communities, village trustees said Tuesday.
Once the hoops return, hopefully within the next week, park staff will check to make sure anyone using them actually lives in the village, trustees said.
“Some residents are delighted that they’re down and that the park is quieter, and then some people are upset because their children want to play basketball,” Deputy Mayor Donna Squicciarino said.
Residents near the park, located near the village border with Floral Park, had to put up with shouting, fights and other disturbances from people playing basketball there, Trustee Rich Pallisco said.
Police were called three times, and the culprits’ license plates showed they were from areas such as South Floral Park, Elmont and Franklin Square, Pallisco said.
“They just came here to cause problems,” he said.
Adults will have to show some form of identification, such as a driver’s license, to prove village residency before using the basketball courts, Pallisco said. The village will offer park IDs for children who lack other identification, Squicciarino said.
Residents won’t have to show identification to use the playground or other parts of the park, trustees said. But anyone causing a disturbance outside the basketball courts will be asked to show residency.
The new policy will also help reduce overcrowding and make sure residents get priority for the basketball courts, Squicciarino said.
“I think we just want to make sure that at least our residents are getting their time to play in our parks,” she said.
New Hyde Park won’t be the first village to restrict who can use its parks.
The Village of Floral Park only allows residents to use its pool and recreation center and requires a village “leisure pass” to enter, according to its website.
The Great Neck Park District requires a membership pass to enter any of its parks or attend any programs. Passes are only available to park district residents.
The Village of East Hills limits use of its park and pool complex to village residents and business owners and requires a membership pass to enter.
Also on Tuesday, the village Board of Trustees approved a $319,000 bid from Hicksville-based Intercounty Paving for its upcoming road repair project.
The village actually plans to spend less because that amount would put the project over its $350,000 budget when engineering costs are included, Mayor Lawrence Montreuil said.
The board also denied an application for a four-story CubeSmart self-storage facility at 1401 Fourth Ave. The Nassau County Planning Commission also rejected the proposal, Montreuil said.
