I have read with interest the letters to the editor and articles about the proposed parking lot that was slipped into last year’s 100-plus item bond.
Approximately twenty five years ago the school district began its encroachment on Great Neck North’s residential neighborhood on a smaller scale.
Back then the school district decided to pave over a portion of what was a tree filled lot on the northwest corner of Beach and Polo Roads – a lot today that is devoid of most of those trees.
At the time, the neighbors and other Great Neck residents were focused on preserving the trees. As in the current situation, the Board did not include the residents in the decision-making process until they said it was irrevocable.
The school gave us assurances that the pavement would not affect the trees at all. We, of course, explained that the root systems of the trees would be undermined, and of course, they were.
Slowly the trees died, and without much ado, the GNPS provided more parking spaces for the seniors. On the northwest corner is now a lot that has over 20 parking spots available for student parking.
Twenty-five years ago, the school board similarly had a deaf ear to the complaints from the residents.
At that time we were more concerned about the trees, and we too told the Board that there was student parking available at the school owned Parkwood lot. It’s appalling that the school district is willing to chip away at this tree-lined residential neighborhood so that seniors, who spend so little time in school can have closer parking.
Though the lot on the northwest corner would have provided my own children closer parking, I still fought for the preservation of the trees, because I knew that my healthy children were capable of walking from the Parkwood lot.
I didn’t want to spoil my children, and I always wanted to teach them proper values: to value their environment and the neighborhood which they traversed on a daily basis to go to school; and to recognize that being privileged means not taking advantage of others just because you can.
Having set a precedent twenty-five years ago, the school board’s current plan will eliminate a much larger green space.
It is shameful that the board continues to bow to the needs of a small portion of parents, who already have close to 100 parking spots for seniors and who don’t want their children to cross Arrandale Avenue, but they entrust them with two-ton vehicles.
Will they ever have enough parking spots?
Anne Meyers
Great Neck
