The Town of North Hempstead repaved Locust Lane in Roslyn in September even though it was scheduled to be torn up for National Grid work in December, according to the town and National Grid.
National Grid was not aware that the town had plans to repave Locust Lane, said company spokesperson Wendy Ladd. The company got its permit from the town in July to begin work in December, she said.
“The repaving was the result of a miscommunication between the Town and National Grid,” said Carole Trottere, the Town of North Hempstead’s communications director, in an email. “We resurfaced the road earlier than we should have.”
Sam, a resident of Carriage Lane where it borders Locust Lane who did not want his last name published, said his primary concern was the burden of such an error on taxpayers like himself.
“That’s where my money goes,” he said. “That’s my thoughts. Nobody cares.”
He remembered the road being repaved soon before National Grid construction started, and doubted that it would look as nice again after all of the new work.
“This is [a] disaster, I think,” he said. “But the politicians don’t care about that. It’s not their money. I wish they could put their money in it. Their own money in it, not my money.”
Efforts to reach Town Councilman Peter Zuckerman, who represents Roslyn Heights, were unavailing.
In December, the town passed a law banning roads from being repaved less than three years after they already had been.
It also prohibits repaving on roads within five years of when they were constructed.
When the town repaved the road in September, it was because it was due for such work, Trottere said. At the time, town law only protected roads from repaving for the year following a repaving project.
“We work closely with the town the Town of North Hempstead and we have a great relationship with them,” Ladd said. “We’re working through this issue.”
The town will split the cost of repaving the road with National Grid, she said.
National Grid construction will continue on Locust Lane through April, Ladd said.
She said her company has not received complaints from residents regarding the repaving error.
Locust Lane is closed to anything but local traffic during the day between Woodhollow Road and Corn Crib Lane. National Grid is installing a gas main there as part of an ongoing multimillion-dollar project in the northwestern portion of the county.
