My wife and I continue to see the exceptional congestion as students arrive and depart on our corner at Beach Road and Polo Road.
This burdensome predicament continues to make “escape” from my home to Friday business meetings frustratingly difficult unless I track the opposite direction via Bayview Avenue. It’s akin to going to midtown Manhattan via the Bronx.
The storage of Great Neck North working students’ cars is long overdue and necessary — and we are building a lot here, not a new school.
I write today because I see that my neighbors, in “prima facie” recognition of this need after frustrating delays, hearings and the like — more suitable to the development of an entire school rather than a simple parking lot — are writing about a school roof leak which resulted from failure by the contractor to cover his work for the day, prior to a rainstorm. They also write about their desire to be informed regarding the drainage plan for the new lot.
I agree on multiple counts:
1. Let’s get a move on with this forever-to-pave lot and get these cars off the street in a more timely manner with more storage and vehicular movement — morning and afternoon — at Polo and Beach Roads.
2. Contractors generally do, and should be made to pay, for damage incurred through negligence, such as from un-tarped, continuing roof work.
3. School officials should share the drainage plan for the new lot with Beach Road residents.
One of my neighbors endearingly and belatedly inquires in his letter about the lot construction (may it commence and conclude soon) in relation to the school roof with some continued desire to derail the project.
We know, we know — you don’t want the lot. That train has departed the station. We want relief from these impassable streets. (Another neighbor rehashes issues spoon-fed by another and contends that the lot — necessary to the school’s functioning in this community is somehow a “theft” of STEM funds — just ridiculous obfuscations).
One issue is unrelated to the other. Countless public projects have defects, overruns and the like. All must result in making compensation to the public entity and hence, the taxpayers.
A roof repair and paving of a lot are unrelated issues. Both should be addressed and as with the new roof — let’s get going.
I would conclude acknowledging that I purchased my home 20 years ago with the knowledge that I was five houses from a high school.
All of us on this street did so, same as someone on Cuttermill or Great Neck Roads knows that they have the LIRR rumbling outside their kitchen window, same as Arrandale Road residents know that many hundreds of pool-goers pass their house in the summer, same as Old Mill Road residents must accept “street freezes” on high holidays, etc., but we on Beach Road are at least offered some relief from some cars circulating for parking and delaying us.
Again — let’s get moving on this lot which has already taken twice the creation time of the Empire State Building.
Jeffrey Wiesenfeld
Great Neck
