North Hills subdivision seeks to increase traffic violation fines to $200

Amelia Camurati
North Hills Mayor Marvin Natiss (Photo by Amelia Camurati)

Residents from a North Hills subdivision are seeking an increase in traffic violation fines to curb speeding in their neighborhood.

Resident and attorney Marilyn Genoa wrote to North Hills Mayor Marvin Natiss and the Board of Trustees on July 11, Natiss said during the Board of Trustees meeting on Wednesday, asking to increase traffic fines in High Point at North Hills Condominium II on Powerhouse Road to $200.

Natiss said anything more than $50, which can be executed by order of the mayor, must be done through a local law. At the meeting, Genoa said she would prefer higher fines for violations, especially speeding, to deter residents.

Currently, the High Point II speed limit is set at 15 miles per hour.

“They want fines that will vary from $50 to $200 and their preference is to have the fines at a higher level so it’s a deterrent to their residents,” Natiss said. “If it requires a local law, let’s go that way.”

Village Attorney A. Thomas Levin said he could draft the law to introduce at the August meeting before holding a public hearing on the law in September.

In other business, the state Department of Transportation will be changing the lane assignments on the South Service Road at New Hyde Park Road after a traffic study, Natiss said.

Natiss said the department sent a letter to the village on June 8 about the upcoming changes following a traffic study, including an accident analysis, turning movement counts, signal timing analysis, review of the roadway and field observations of the intersection where Dealertrack now sits.

Based on the investigation, Regional Director Joseph T. Brown said the department will change the second traffic lane from the right to a combination lane for cars to go straight or turn right. Right turns on red will only be allowed from the far right lane and not the combination lane.

“In addition, we will install east to south, white dotted line pavement markings to separate the two right turn maneuvers and upgrade the pavement markings on I-495 at the North and South Service Roads at New Hyde Park Road in an upcoming pavement marking contract,” Brown said in the letter.

The work is expected to be completed by the end of the summer.

Reach reporter Amelia Camurati by email at acamurati@theislandnow.com, by phone at 516-307-1045, ext. 215, or follow her on Twitter @acamurati.

Share this Article