Bayville Blog NY- Serving Bayville, Mill Neck, Center Island and Locust Valley New York - Community

New Documentary - Full Signal

2009-12-05T11:43:00Z

There is a documentary scheduled to be released this December (which has already been entered into several film festivals) entitled, Full Signal. This film documents the current controversy regarding cell phones, cell phone antennas, the radiation that these technologies emit, and how it impacts the human population. This is an area that all residents living in Bayville should follow and research carefully, considering the present situation of our water tower housing so many antennas so close to our school children, our residents and our water supply. The director's name is Talal Jabari, and his website is: www.FullSignalMovie.com We encourage all residents of Bayville to visit this website. Thank you.

Sincerely,
Members of BRACT

West Shore Road Project

2009-09-11T01:42:00Z

I've seen some pre-contruction activity on West Shore Road recently. According to the article below it seems as if this project has been delayed as it should have reached completion by the end of 2009. The article states that the repairs will be to the wall only? Anyone know the scope of the project? Will the new road finally be inclusive of a bike path?

Below is an article that was recently mailed to me that had appeared in the Oyster Bay Enterprise Pilot back in May 2009. It is written by D.F. Karppi Monday, 18 May 2009

Ray Ribiero, Nassau County Department of Public Works commissioner, returned a phone call requesting information, saying he currently does not have a crew working on West Shore Road.
Local residents have seen stakes being put into the ground in the West Shore Road area, and a county source said what is currently happening is that the contractors are surveying the area, and the team is still working on a plan for the renovation of the road.

There have been issues with the public involved in restoring the road including: intruding into the wetland; the raising of the road - in the area between the railroad bridge and Cleft Road to prevent flooding. A bike path was proposed for the area along the water.

Bayville Mayor Victoria Siegel has long been in favor of the road repair for the safety of residents of the incorporated village. In case of an emergency – such as flooding – West Shore Road is one of two ways to get into Bayville.

Dave Relyea, owner of Frank M. Flower & Sons, Inc. said, “We’ve heard rumors that an attempt is again being made to repair West Shore Road. As before, Frank M. Flower is concerned with the drainage and the effect of a new sea wall on Oyster Bay Harbor.”

According to the Nassau County 2009-2012 Capital Improvement Plan the current status of the West Shore Road is: “Currently designing improvement to seawall only, not the road. Design is 80 percent complete. Plans were reviewed by representatives of U.S. Fish and Wildlife, who have jurisdiction over the Oyster Bay National Wildlife Refuge. Their initial response was negative regarding gabions on the refuge. We intend to discuss the issue with that agency further, and take appropriate actions.”

The project was originally described as: “West Shore Road extends along the west shore of Oyster Bay harbor for two miles from Oyster Bay to Bayville. The existing two-lane road was built 50 years ago. Portions of an adjacent wall are 40 years old and parts of the old wall have collapsed. It is a prime access route between Oyster Bay, Mill Neck and Bayville.

“This project is for the discrete rehabilitation or reconstruction of sections of this roadway and sea wall. Several alternatives for this improvement have met with community opposition, however at this time, consensus has been developed with the elected officials on a conceptual plan to move this project forward. Detailed design development will occur through 2004-2005 for a proposed construction in 2006-2007.”

According to the documentation for plan 6179A, West Shore Road, Mill Neck, the design work should finish on Feb. 15, 2009. Construction should start on March 8, 2009 and be finished by Dec. 30, 2009.

President Obama to Address School Children Sept 8th 2009

2009-09-03T10:48:00Z

Parents across the country are rebelling against plans by President Barack Obama to speak directly to their children through the classrooms of the nation's public schools without their presence, participation and approval on Sept 8th. For many this is the first day of school.

Should there be an "opt out" option available to parents such as recess? Many school districts are adopting such a plan for next weeks address. How should our local districts handle?

The Obama Healthcare Boondoggle - Obamacare

2009-07-23T10:31:00Z

Lacking details, the Obama Healthcare proposal will eventually increase federal spending. Historically they have mismanaged Medicare and Medicaid and killed Social Security. Government healthcare has failed miserably in other countries and will strip the people of their choices. The proposal includes new regulations and government authority that would leave Americans with even less control of their health care dollars than they what they have today. Keep control in the hands of the consumer. Create and enforce tough regulations upon the insurance carriers. There is no such thing as a "Big Bang" solve all. Estimated costs for the plan are in the range of $239 billon dollars over the next ten years. This plan is not deficit neutral and another disater in the making.

Jeff Silver

The N.Y. Government Reorganization and Citizen Empowerment Act - The "state" of Long Island

2009-07-10T02:35:00Z

On December 11, 2008 Attorney General Andrew M. Cuomo announced a plan to empower communities across the state with the ability to fundamentally reorganize and consolidate local governments. In May, the Attorney General, after working with various groups, citizens and the Legislature, announced legislation, entitled The New N.Y. Government Reorganization and Citizen Empowerment Act - taken from the NYS Attorney Generals Office website. More here

Consolidation. Some say long over due, some say not necessary. Lets face it, from the way I see things from here downstate, NY is not in the greatest fiscal shape, yet the downstate area of Long Island is one of the wealthiest areas in the nation. Poor management has put the state in debt for an estimated 54 billion dollars(2008). The taxes that are collected are not evenly distributed to Long Island. Long Island sends $8.1 billion in taxes to NYS, approximately 5.2 billion of it gets back to Long Island.

Maybe the time has come to establish the commonwealth of Long Island "for the common good". Or as the 51st state, Long Island would boast the nation’s highest median household income while being the third smallest state. Sounds crazy? Hey, you never know. They created this act to, well you guessed it, act. There is a very good chance consolidation by the state will occur whether we like it or not. The Empowerment Act may be an opportunity for us to maintain our Long Island communities.

Jeff Silver

July 4th Celebration -Bonfire decision

2009-06-01T10:21:00Z

Discussion on July 4th Celebration and the bonfire decision (still pending as of June 1st)

LVCSD Budget Vote May 19th

2009-05-01T02:02:00Z

Discussion on LVCSD Annual Budget Vote May 19th

Shore Road (aka Washington) Open - But Not All of it

2009-04-28T20:52:00Z

In another glaring example of the deficiencies of the way in which the roads in Bayville are managed, the piece of road on Shore Road (not to be confused with West Shore Road - soon to be addressed) that was closed decades ago by Mr. Viteritti is now open and being paved. The history of this, the implications for residents of Arlington Lane and the practice of selectively allowing roads to be closed with absolutely no basis in law, is so mind numbing that I can't even begin to address it right now. To top it all off, this project was done with no notice to the residents most affected by it.

Over the next several weeks I will address this from several angles to show just how bad this is and how the residents of Arlington Lane, of which I am one, have been paying for it for decades.

Barry E. Lamb

Bayville

Groundbreaking Ceremony for the Birches Scheduled

2009-03-31T13:02:00Z

A groundbreaking ceremony has been scheduled to celebrate the start of the Birches sewage remediation project. The ceremony will take place at the site of the proposed pump station on Melody Rd. on Thursday April 16th at 10:30 AM.

After decades of raw sewage continuously flowing into the bay, and entire generations of kids being told they were not allowed to swim because the water was too dirty, it looks as if we are finally going to fix the problem. Don’t get me wrong, the Birches is certainly not the only threat to water quality in Mill Neck Bay or the rest of the Oyster Bay/Cold Spring Harbor estuary, but it is certainly the most glaring example of long term neglect. And we cannot solely blame the many elected officials who, over the years, allowed this to continue on their watch. We also allowed it for all those years without taking action and demanding that it be addressed.

When we did finally make the demand, it was addressed. Many of you played a crucial part in that and should be proud of your role. There is no question that the letters generated in this forum were the catalyst. In politics, one letter is a nuisance, 3 or 4 is a concern, 10 is a mandate and 50 is a potential threat to political survival.

When Kyle Rabin, the former Executive Director of Friends of the Bay, and I first discussed how we could finally make this happen, we knew that we would need to have the public very involved. At about this same time, Jeff was talking to me about his idea for the Bayville Blog. In the end, the timing of these two events was the watershed event (no pun intended) that made this happen.

We also need to thank the elected officials who made this happen. In Nassau County, Diane Yatauro, who heard the call early, Tom Souzzi, and the Nassau County Legislature, and in the Town of Oyster Bay, John Venditto and the Town Board. In the end, it was these elected officials who came up with the idea of transporting the waste to the Glen Cove treatment plant, an idea that, I must admit, I was more than a little skeptical of. Making this happen was no easy feat and it completely removes this waste stream from the bay – the best possible outcome.

Those of you who can possibly make it to the groundbreaking ceremony should do so. Like the letters, a good showing will let our elected officials know that we are paying attention. Paying attention is something we all need to do if we want to be ready for the next issue – I’m relatively sure one will be rearing it’s head in the next few weeks.

Barry E. Lamb
Bayville

Live from the West Wing

2009-02-04T10:29:00Z

General discussion about the current administration and their performance, challenges and accomplishments. Starting with President Barak Obama in 2009, this will be an ongoing thread following future administrations. If someone wants a thread on a specific subject please email admin@bayvilleblog.com and it will be set up. Please include a brief description of the thread when submitting request. Remember, you are responsible for your content, please keep it constructive and free of personal attacks. All have the right to their own beliefs and opinions. Please use your head when posting, targeted threats against heads of states whether written spoken is a serious offense.

Senator Schumer to Hold Press Conference at the Birches

2008-12-01T22:53:00Z

I received a call from Diane Yatauro’s office just moments ago informing me that Senator Schumer will hold a press conference tomorrow at 11:00am. The press conference will be held at the site of the proposed sewage pump station in the Birches development. The purpose is to make a request of president elect Obama to include additional funding for sewage treatment in his economic stimulus plan.

Should this funding be provided, the Long Island Sound just may be the body of water that derives the most benefit from it. In addition to the coastal areas of Long Island and Connecticut, the Sounds drainage basin includes parts of New York City and a section of New England that runs all the way to Canada.

http://www.longislandsoundstudy.net/pubs/maps/drainmap.html

Unfortunately, I can’t seem to locate the map that shows the hundreds of sewage treatment plants in this area, but it would amaze you.

What is truly amazing about tomorrow’s event is that a tiny grass roots organization like Friends of the Bay, with no small amount of help from local residents (you), is responsible not only for ending the flow of raw sewage into our bay, but may possibly influence policy decisions on a national level.

I recently received the Friends of the Bay annual fundraising appeal letter and would like ask that all of you to make a contribution as well. This organization has contributed so much to this community, our quality of life and our property values and has done it on a very small budget. It is likely that they will have to do it with even less this year due to the economy, even though there is so much being planned. Plus, the boat that they use for the water quality monitoring program is out of commission with a blown motor and the whole boat is in need of replacement (the boat was always too small for this work).

I know that these are scary times, but even scarier is the thought of what this area would be like if Friends of the Bay never existed.

I have attached a response form for those who can manage to make a contribution.

Donation Response Form

Thanks,

Barry E. Lamb

Bayville

Presidential Election 08

2008-09-22T09:42:00Z

General discussion on the election such as events, the Media coverage of, etc. Please rememeber that you are responsible for your content, please keep it constructive and free of personal attacks. All have the right to their own beliefs and opinions.

Republicans 08 - McCain / Palin

2008-09-22T09:37:00Z

For posts regarding the Republican Candidates: - John Sidney McCain III for President / Sarah Louise Heath Palin for Vice President. Please rememeber that you are responsible for your content, please keep it constructive and free of personal attacks. All have the right to their own beliefs and opinions.

Democrats 08 - Obama / Biden

2008-09-22T09:19:00Z

For posts regarding the Democratic Candidates: Barack Hussein Obama II - for President / Joseph Robinette Biden, Jr. - for Vice President. Please rememeber that you are responsible for your content, please keep it constructive and free of personal attacks. All have the right to their own beliefs and opinions.

Birches Update - Friends of the Bay Calling on All County Residents!

2008-08-16T13:04:00Z

Friends of the Bay is Calling on All Nassau County Residents to urge their legislators to approve the Intermunicipal Agreement between the Town of Oyster Bay and Nassau County to connect the homes in the area known as The Birches to the Glen Cove Sewage Treatment plant.

This is an issue of concern to everyone who uses the waters of the Oyster Bay/Cold Spring Harbor Estuary!

Thank you to the dedicated group of Friends of the Bay supporters and Bayville residents who addressed the Planning, Development and Environment Committee regarding the Intermunicipal Agreement on August 4 at the Nassau County Legislature. The hearing, originally scheduled for 2:30, did not begin until 6:00 pm. We appreciate your dedication to attaining a resolution to this long standing issue.

The collaborative and creative solution developed by Nassau County and The Town of Oyster Bay will result in improved water quality for Mill Neck Creek and the entire estuary. This is an opportunity to address a long-standing problem with unacceptable environmental impacts that has gone on for too many years.

The inadequate sewage treatment plant at the Birches is a known and documented impairment to the water quality of Mill Neck Creek, the Oyster Bay National Wildlife Refuge, and estuary in general. Friends of the Bay's water quality monitoring results for Mill Neck Creek consistently reflect high coliform levels resulting from effluent released from the inadequate chlorination tank that has been in place since 1983. This has resulted in the discharge of untreated sewage into the tidal wetlands. A solution to this environmentally damaging plant has been negotiated by the Town of Oyster Bay and Nassau County. Please urge your legislators not to let the opportunity to resolve this problem pass.

A pump station to connect homes in the Birches to the Glen Cove sewage treatment plant is to be funded jointly by Nassau County and the Town of Oyster Bay. This project will be implemented in two phases over the next two years. The Town of Oyster Bay has already agreed to this plan. Now the Nassau County Legislature must approve it. The voting will take place on Monday, August 18 in an evening session beginning at 6:00 pm. The legislative office building is located at 1550 Franklin Avenue, Mineola. Please attend this session to show your support. If you cannot attend the meeting, write, call or email your legislator.

There are many examples of the County Legislature being supportive of environmental improvements that, while in a particular part of the county, are wildlife habitat and recreational areas that all county residents enjoy. Just to name a few: Massapequa Preserve, Tanglewood Preserve, Roosevelt Preserve Park, Milburn Pond Park, Silver Lake Park, Lofts Pond Park and Baxter Pond Park.

This year marks the 40th anniversary of the creation of the Oyster Bay National Wildlife Refuge, as well as the 150th anniversary of President Theodore Roosevelt's birth. President Roosevelt was the founder of the National Wildlife Refuge system. There cannot be a more appropriate way to honor both these occasions by finally attaining a solution to a long standing environmentally damaging situation.

You may send your letter of support to Honorable Diane Yatauro, Presiding Officer, Nassau County Legislature, at 1550 Franklin Avenue, Mineola, NY 11501. Legislator Diane Yatauro, of Glen Cove, represents the 18th Legislative District. The district covers Bayville, Brookville, Centre Island, Glen Cove, Glen Head, Lattingtown, Locust Valley, Matinecock, Mill Neck, Old Brookville, Old Westbury, Sea Cliff, Upper Brookville, and parts of Greenvale, Hicksville, Jericho, and Oyster Bay. You may also write to Honorable Judith Jacobs at the same address. Legislator Jacobs represents Legislative District 16, which is comprised of the communities of Bethpage, Cove Neck, East Norwich, Jericho, Laurel Hollow, Muttontown, Oyster Bay, Oyster Bay Cove, Plainview, Syosset, and Woodbury. If you prefer to send an email, or are from a different legislative district, go to the Nassau County Legislature website at http://www.nassaucountyny.gov/agencies/legis/index.html and follow the links.

Patricia Aitken
Friends of the Bay

Nassau County to Vote on Birches Agreement

2008-07-31T10:04:00Z

The Nassau County legislature is scheduled to vote on the Birches cost sharing agreement. The following was sent out by Friends of the Bay:

Update- the hearing will be held at the Theodore Roosevelt Executive and Legislative Building at 1550 Franklin Avenue, Mineola at 2:45 pm on Monday, August 4th. The hearing will be in the first floor legislative chamber.

Your help is needed to resolve the situation at the Birches.

Please come to a hearing by the Planning Committee of the Nassau County legislature at 2:45 pm on Monday, August 4th, to show your support for the Intermunicipal Agreement by Nassau County and the Town of Oyster Bay to connect the Birches to the Glen Cove sewage treatment plant. If you cannot attend the hearing, it is important that you call, email or write your legislator to voice your support for the Intermunicipal Agreement!

Friends of the Bay strongly supports the approval of the proposed Intermunicipal Agreement between Nassau County and the Town of Oyster Bay to connect these homes to the Glen Cove sewage treatment plant. This collaborative and creative solution will effectively address the concerns of the community, ultimately resulting in improved water quality for Mill Neck Creek.

The Planning Committee of the Nassau County legislature is scheduled to discuss this important issue and determine whether to move forward with the joint agreement at 2:45 on Monday, August 4th. To insure the swift passage of this important measure, please contact your local legislator and let them know that you support the approval of the Intermunicipal Agreement. This is an opportunity to address a long-standing problem with unacceptable environmental impacts that has gone on for too many years.

Nassau County and the Town of Oyster Bay have developed plans to address the inadequate sewage treatment system currently in place in the Birches community. The previous plan was to build a small package plant on the County lot, to treat and discharge sewage. However, the community was not satisfied with this solution due to concerns about the associated noise, odor and aesthetics, and they were looking for other options.

A pump station, to connect homes in the Birches to the Glen Cove sewage treatment plant recently taken over by the county, was seen as a better solution. This new plan, which is to be funded jointly by Nassau County and the Town of Oyster Bay, will be implemented in two phases over the next two years. For the interim period during construction, arrangements are being made to reimburse homeowners for the expenses incurred for the frequent pump outs of their overflowing septic tanks.

Friends of the Bay's water quality monitoring results for Mill Neck Creek consistently reflect high coliform levels resulting from effluent released from the inadequate chlorination tank that has been in place since 1983. This has resulted in the discharge of untreated sewage into the tidal wetlands and a tributary to Mill Neck Creek, which then flows out into the wider Oyster Bay National Wildlife Refuge. As a result, Mill Neck Creek has been closed to shellfishing for decades. A solution to this environmentally damaging plant has been negotiated by the Town of Oyster Bay and Nassau County. Please urge your legislators not to let the opportunity to resolve this problem pass.

Barry E. Lamb
Bayville

Sewage from the Birches to Take the Trip to Glen Cove

2008-07-06T19:28:00Z

On Wednesday, June 25^th, a meeting was held at Bailey Arboretum to update residents regarding changes to the plan for mitigating the raw sewage discharge from the Birches residential area, into Mill Neck Creek.

Earlier this year, Nassau County took possession of the Glen Cove sewage treatment plant. This prompted them to look into the possibility of connecting the Birches area, via a pump station and forced main, to the Glen Cove plant instead of constructing a packet treatment plant in the Birches area. This, of course, delayed the start of construction, which was to have already begun earlier this year. Needless to say, I was not happy with the delay. It was my contention that the collection system to be installed in the Birches community would be the same regardless of whether it delivered the sewage to a packet treatment plant to be treated and discharged, or to a pump station to be pumped to the Glen Cove plant. To me, this meant there was absolutely no reason to delay the start of construction, especially considering that the sewage flow into the Creek was mandated by the DEC to be halted before September of 2005 (though these mandates appear to incur no consequences whatsoever). As of yet, the cost sharing agreement for this portion of the project has yet to be signed by Nassau County and the Town of Oyster Bay.

I was also fairly sure that after the costs associated with installing a forced main to the Glen Cove plant would be prohibitive. This would be especially true if the forced main would be installed under Bayville and Horsehollow Roads, requiring very expensive restoration of these concrete roads.

At the meeting, the new plan was presented to a group that consisted primarily of residents of the Birches area as well as some other interested individuals. The plan is to install the collection system under the roadways of the Birches area exactly as it would have been with the packet plant. This collection system would transport the sewage down hill to the site where the packet plant was to be installed. Under the new plan, a pump station would be instead installed on this site. This pump station would then pump the sewage into the new forced main, under pressure, and uphill to a point where it can be connected to Glen Cove’s existing, gravity fed collection system. The new forced main would be a four inch diameter pipe installed along Bayville Road, Horsehollow Road and Skunk's Misery Road, where it would connect to the Glen Cove system on Forest Avenue for a downhill ride to the treatment plant.

In addition to all this, because the volume of sewage from the Birches alone would not be adequate to allow the pumping station to operate properly, a gravity fed collection pipe will be installed alongside the forced main that will connect the Locust Valley High School to the Birches pump station and subsequently to the Glen Cove plant.

While I am still somewhat disillusioned by what I consider an unnecessary delay to the start of the project (the collection system was originally scheduled to begin this past April and as of yet no agreement has been signed and the contract has not gone out to bid), I am happy that the concerns of some of the residents that live closest to the site of the pump station have been addressed. They had voiced their concerns regarding smell, noise, aesthetics and a reduction of their property values at the meeting at the Locust Valley Library last August ( see http://bayvilleblog.com/2007/08/23/birches-meeting-at-the-locust-valley-library.aspx). I am also happy that our elected officials do appear to be committed to solving this problem, even if their sense of urgency does not seem to equal my own.

I do have some concerns/suggestions regarding the project that I think will make it more cost effective over time. The first is that the collection system in the Birches be designed to allow it the capacity to also collect the sewage from the Hernan Avenue/Walton Avenue development. It is likely that this area suffers from the same soil conditions and underground hydrology as the Birches, the only difference being that the water table is lower and the underground flow does not cause the areas septic systems to back up. Instead I suspect the flow of groundwater is carrying sewage with it into the bay. The springs that flow continually from the Mill Neck Bay Marina site are evidence ofthis.

The second suggestion would be to install a second, larger diameter forced main pipe alongside the four inch main. By installing a second, say six inch, main in the same trench, we would be allowing for the possibility of expanding the system to include other problem areas without the added expense of re-excavating several miles of trench. The cost of laying a second line in an already excavated trench would be insignificant. The problem area that comes immediately to mind is the “Stands” area of Bayville, including the Tides, the amusement park, all the restaurants and the proposed office buildings. This area has long had extensive problems with their septic systems and, in addition to the added costs to these businesses, the ultimate destination for all this sewage is Mill Neck Bay. Connecting these businesses to a system already in place is a relatively simple and inexpensive process. Not designing in this extra capacity would be shortsighted.

Lastly, I would implore our elected official to expedite this project to the extent humanly possible. It was stated at the meeting that the collection system portion of the project could conceivably begin this fall and I would hope that every effort be made to make this happen as a gesture of goodfaith by our elected officials in both Nassau County and the Town of Oyster Bay. Only the knowledge that the digging has begun will reassure me that this threat to public health and quality of life will finally be on it’s way to resolution.

Barry E. Lamb

Bayville

Related Bayville Blog entries, in chronological order:

http://bayvilleblog.com/2006/11/12/raw-sewerage-still-flowing-into-the-creek.aspx

http://bayvilleblog.com/2007/03/18/the-birches-nomination-submitted.aspx

http://bayvilleblog.com/2007/04/18/the-bisches-gets-news12-coverage.aspx

http://bayvilleblog.com/2007/05/18/town-response-on-the-birches.aspx

http://bayvilleblog.com/2007/08/23/birches-meeting-at-the-locust-valley-library.aspx

The Deed - Williams Estate Deed and Cell Towers

2008-06-10T03:23:00Z

It has been a little unclear as to how the Williams Estate deed reads as it pertains to the property on which the Bayville Water tower resides and the surrounding property. There has been a lot of talk about it during the recent meetings regarding the cell phone antennas but few have had the opportunity to read it. Here is your opportunity to review it and see how it relates to the cell towers (commercial enterprise) or anything else deemed offensive.

Harrison Williams Deed

Bayville Cell Towers FAQ's

International Association of Firefighter's - Position on the Health Effects from Radio Frequency/Microwave (RF/MW) Radiation in Fire Department Facilities from Base Stations for Antennas and Towers for the Conduction of Cell Phone Transmissions

Posted at the request of BRACT

Bayville Green Market Opens Saturday June 7th

2008-05-16T00:47:00Z

The Green Market is scheduled to open Saturday, June 7 and remain open through Saturday, September 6, 2008. We are looking for volunteers - Anyone interested can call Joanne at Village Hall 628-1439 extension 10.

Posted at the request of Kate Naughton

LVCSD - Annual Election of Board Members and Budget Vote - Tuesday, May 20, 2008

2008-05-13T09:54:00Z

The Locust Valley Central School District Annual Election of Board Members and Vote on the Budget will be held on Tuesday, May 20, 2008, between 12:00 noon and 10:00 p.m. at the following places:

Bayville Election District: Bayville Intermediate Schools

Brookville Election District: Community Hall, Brookville Reformed Church at the corner of Brookville Road and Wheatley Road

Locust Valley Election District: Locust Valley High School/Middle School

There will be a "Meet the Candidates” evening on Tuesday, May 13, 2008 at 8:00 p.m. in the High School Cafeteria. Six candidates are running for three seats on the Board of Education: incumbents Dr. Yao H. Chu and Ronald J. Walsh, as well as Philip Bellisari, Kathleen Falciano, Joseph Florio and Lisa McLoughlin.

Bayville Park Blvd. Civic Association Board Resigning - Meeting May 6th

2008-04-17T11:16:00Z

The board of the civic association is all resigning, with the exception of the treasurer. We have been the board for 2 years now but can no longer do it for various reasons. We sent out a flyer and held a general meeting in April to elect new officers. Out of 250 families only 7 families showed up; 4 of those families were the officers.

We are not a usual civic association. We have to have one to maintain our roads and drainage systems or else we will have to pay back the original grant we received to have the roads and drains fixed in the first place. This is really not about people wanting to live in a nice neighborhood, which is a very nice thing to do; it is about avoiding a substantial expense for each of our residents.

We need a new board to continue moving forward.

I can no longer do the job. I have 4 small children and had to go back to work (when I took the job I was suppose to stay home, I could not). I can not run a civic association, do my job and take care of 4 very small girls - it's just too much, and the civic association is not being taken care of properly.

We are having a meeting on May 6th at 7:00pm in the Community Center. Flyers will be mailed out shortly stating this. We need everyone to come and people to step up to the plate to run things. This is our community and we need to take care of it unless we want to just pay about 4,000 dollars per household for it, and let it return to the ugly horrible conditions it use to be.

Sincerely,

Roberta Amian, Soon to be Former Civic Association President

LVCSD Board of Education Antenna Inquiry

2008-04-02T01:17:00Z

It’s been brought to my attention that the LVCSD Board of Education has opened a dialogue with the Village Gov’t, expressing concerns about the safety of the Cell Towers being so close to BP. The Village has responded that there is little community opposition to this situation, merely a dozen or so people who are worried about it. That is patently untrue, as evidenced by the large attendance at last winter’s meetings about the NCPD proposal. In addition to the many people who attended and spoke at those meetings, I gathered upwards of 200 signatures on a petition, all asking the village to move the cell towers away from the children of our community. Mayor Siegel subsequently dismissed the impact of all those signatures by claiming that five people called her and told her they felt co-erced or forced to sign. If that is indeed true, that does not negate the many others who signed.

The Board would like to hear from the community, to see how people really feel about this. Please go to this page of the LVCSD website http://www.lvcsd.k12.ny.us/page.cfm?p=22

Click on the link on the bottom to email the school board. E-mails are printed and distributed to each board member. This is a very easy way for people to make their voices heard on this situation. The direct email for the board is: board@lvcsd.k12.ny.us

Thank you,

Edie Dickman

Bayville Election June 17th, 2008

2008-03-04T10:49:00Z

To anyone interested in running for trustee of Bayville, there will be a Village Election June 17th, 2008.

Three Trustee positions are up for election. There are 6 Trustees in Bayville and they run on split years. Three Trustees (3) this year and then the opposite three (3) in 2010 when the next Mayoral Race occurs.

Anyone can run for Trustee. Maria Alfano-Hardy is the Village Clerk and she is the designated election official during Village Elections. Information on running can be obtained from her office or the Nassau County Board of Elections.

Any interested party/parties must have a petition signed supporting their Nomination for Candidacy and submitted to the Election Official (Marie Alfano-Hardy) 60 days prior to the election. All information and petitions are available in printable versions online through NYS Board of Elections or through the Nassau County Board of Elections.

Margaret Marchand

Smithers' Acquisition Approved

2008-02-26T10:24:00Z

The acquisition of the twenty-five acre Smither's property was unanimously approved yesterday. After several other items were addressed at the meeting, Diane Yatauro requested that those who were scheduled to speak on the Smithers' acquisition not do so for the sake of expediency, indicating that it would pass. When the the polling was complete, it was unanimous.

Thanks to everyone who wrote, e-mailed, called or went door to door collecting signatures. There is no question that it had an effect; it always does.

We can now move on to other issues including the St. Gertrude's property and why it has been so quiet on the Birches front (to my knowledge the agreement between the Town and County has never been signed).

Friends of the Bay has asked me to put up the following E-mail. They wanted to be sure to thank all of you who acted.

The Nassau County Legislature voted on February 25 to acquire the Smithers Property!

A sincere thank you to everyone who called, wrote or emailed their legislators.  The Smithers Property is an environmentally important and beautiful property and its preservation is a wonderful legacy to leave for generations to come.

Friends of the Bay commends the County Legislature on their unanimous vote to acquire the Smithers Property in Mill Neck, which is an outstanding environmental achievement. In the words of John James Audubon, "A true conservationist is a man who knows that the world is not given by his fathers but borrowed from his children."

This ecologically-significant property to be acquired in Mill Neck will continue to play a vital role in protecting Shu Swamp and the entire Oyster Bay/Cold Spring Harbor estuary system in which drains. Located in the state-designated Special Groundwater Protection Area, it contains two ponds, as well as many of the freshwater springs that supply Shu Swamp and in turn, Beaver Dam and Mill Neck Creek.  This acquisition will create a continuous preserve all the way to the Oyster Bay National Wildlife Refuge, helping to protect the water quality so critical to the health of the Oyster Bay/Cold Spring Harbor Estuary System.

The Smithers property, featured in a YouTube video produced by Friends of the Bay  at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OCFhU2TkUbU,  was ranked #1 by the County Executive's advisory committee based on its natural beauty as well as its environmental significance.

Please thank your legislators for voting to acquire the Smithers Property!

County Executive Thomas Suozzi - tsuozzi@nassaucountyny.gov

Presiding Officer Diane Yatauro - dyatauro@nassaucountyny.gov

Minority Leader Peter Schmitt - pschmitt@nassaucountyny.gov

Planning, Development and The Environment Committee:

David Denenberg, Chair - ddenenberg@nassaucountyny.gov

Judy Jacobs, Vice Chair - jjacobs@nassaucountyny.gov

Kevan Abrahams - kabrahams@nassaucountyny.gov

Jeff Toback - jtoback@nassaucountyny.gov

Wayne Wink - wwink@nassaucountyny.gov

Richard Nicolello - rnicolello@nassaucountyny.gov

Denise Ford - dford@nassaucountyny.gov

Norma Gonsalves - ngonsalves@nassaucountyny.gov

Ed Mangano - emangano@nassaucountyny.gov

To see who represents your area, visit the Nassau County Legislature Website athttp://www.nassaucountyny.gov/agencies/Legis/index.html

Barry E. Lamb

Bayville

Smithers' on YouTube

2008-02-22T18:15:00Z

Friends of the Bay has put together a YouTube video that shows how well the Smithers' property compliments Shu Swamp, Beaver Lake, Mill Neck Creek and the Oyster Bay National Wildlife Refuge. It's must view for anyone that is not familiar with the property. It's also a must view for any of our elected officials who may plan to vote against the acquisition without having bothered to walk the property. The e-mail that follows was sent out this morning:

Here's the Link (the one in the e-mail may not work): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OCFhU2TkUbU

The Smithers Property is on YouTube -
The future of this property will be decided by the Nassau County Legislature
on Monday, February 25

Click on the link below to learn more! Read on to see how you can be a voice for the bay and assist in the protection of this majestic and environmentally important property! - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OCFhU2TkUbU

Please show your support by attending the vote on Monday, February 25th at 10:00 am. The vote will take place at the Legislative Office Building, 5th Floor, 1 West Street, Mineola.

The Legislature will be voting on Monday, February 25 on whether or not to preserve the Smithers property, and protect our water quality and preserve open space. Please email your legislators NOW and let them know how important the health of the Oyster Bay/Cold Spring Harbor Estuary is to you! 77% of the voters of Nassau County want open space preserved!

County Executive Thomas Suozzi - tsuozzi@nassaucountyny.gov

Presiding Officer Diane Yatauro - dyatauro@nassaucountyny.gov

Minority Leader Peter Schmitt - pschmitt@nassaucountyny.gov

Planning, Development and The Environment Committee:

David Denenberg, Chair - ddenenberg@nassaucountyny.gov

Judy Jacobs, Vice Chair - jjacobs@nassaucountyny.gov

Kevan Abrahams - kabrahams@nassaucountyny.gov

Jeff Toback - jtoback@nassaucountyny.gov

Wayne Wink - wwink@nassaucountyny.gov

Richard Nicolello - rnicolello@nassaucountyny.gov

Denise Ford - dford@nassaucountyny.gov

Norma Gonsalves - ngonsalves@nassaucountyny.gov

Ed Mangano - emangano@nassaucountyny.gov

To see who represents your area, visit the Nassau County Legislature Website athttp://www.nassaucountyny.gov/agencies/Legis/index.html

If you have already written, called or emailed your legislators, our heartfelt thanks! If not, please take the time to do so now, and forward this email on to your friends so that they can be a voice for our bay, and preserve open space!

Smither's Pond - Lick the Damn Stamp

2008-02-17T22:42:00Z

I’m lucky enough to know the Smither’s property first hand (by way of trespass I’m afraid). I started climbing the fence to fish there when I was ~12 years old and in high school we would go there to swim off the dam in the upper pond. The water was crystal clear and the fishing was great. It would be a sin to allow this property to be subdivided and developed.

I have posted a sample letter below for people to copy, paste and modify, or just copy, paste and sign. What matters is that we let our legislators know that this is important to us and that we let them know on time. That means that you have to do it pretty much immediately. I have posted the E-mail and mailing addresses to make it as easy as possible and suggest that you e-mail your letters immediately, as well as snail mail them for Tuesday morning pick up.

Please, lick the damn stamp and let us know that you did it. Mine were E-mailed this morning and dropped in the box this afternoon (thanks Tom and Scott for your letters).

Barry E. Lamb
Bayville

The letter:

The Honorable Thomas Souzzi
Nassau County Executive Director
One West Street
Mineola, NY 11501

February 17, 2008

Dear County Executive Souzzi,

I am writing you to covey my absolute support for the acquisition of the Smither’s property under the 2006 Nassau County Environmental Bond Program. The acquisition of this 25 acre property will combine with the Shu Swamp Preserve, Beaver Dam, Mill Neck Bayand the Oyster Bay National Wildlife Refuge to create an unfragmented, continuous preserve to forever protect this beautiful water course.

An opportunity like this will only present itself once before this property is forever lost to development, profoundly affecting not only this property, but also the ecology of the entire downstream habitat.

The acquisition of this property may prove, in time, to be the crown jewel of the Environmental Bond Program. Please do everything in your power to ensure that this opportunity is not lost forever.

Sincerely,

The mailing addresses:

The Honorable Diane Yatauro
Presiding Officer, Nassau County Legislator
One West Street
Mineola, NY 11501

Dear Presiding Officer Yatauro,

The Honorable Peter Schmitt
Nassau County Minority Leader
One West Street
Mineola, NY 11501

Dear Minority Leader Schmitt,

And the E-mail addresses:

tsuozzi@nassaucountyny.gov

dyatauro@nassaucountyny.gov

pschmitt@attglobal.net

Thanks in advance to all that respond

Smithers' Pond - Open Space Acquisition in Question

2008-02-14T13:02:00Z

I just received the following E-mail from the North Shore Land Alliance. The Smithers property, for those of you who do not know, is located in Mill Neck at the intersection of Chicken Valley Rd. and Oyster Bay Rd (Mill Hill Rd.) where the blinking yellow light is. It has two ponds on it, as well as many of the fresh water springs that supply Shu Swamp and in turn, Beaver Dam and Mill Neck Creek. It is directly upstream of Shu Swamp and its acquisition would create a continuous preserve all the way to the Oyster Bay National Wildlife Refuge. Losing the opportunity to protect this property would be a grave mistake.

Barry E. Lamb

Bayville

Smither's Ponds, Mill Neck

WE NEED YOUR HELP TO PROTECT THIS LOCAL TREASURE!!

On Monday, February 11th, the Nassau County Legislature had the opportunity to authorize the purchase of the 25- acre Smither's Property in Mill Neck as the first of the open space acquisitions for the 2006 Environmental Bond Program. Based on its beauty, environmental significance and proximity to the Shu Swamp Preserve, it was the Bond Advisory Committee's first choice.

The legislators did not authorize the acquisition and in fact, tabled the vote until Monday, February 25th. This means we have less than 2 weeks to convince them that the Smither's Property is unique, wonderful and an important part of our community certainly worthy of acquisition!

We are writing you today to ask that you call, write or e-mail our elected officials and tell them how important the Smither's property is to our area. Attached are some facts that might help you with your messages but the most compelling of arguments are the ones that come from your heart.

Thank you in advance for taking action to protect our open spaces. Your letters, notes and/or phone calls should be sent to the following by February 21st:

Person/Address

County Executive Thomas R. Suozzi
1 West Street, Mineola, NY 11501
tsuozzi@nassaucountyny.gov
516-571-3131

Majority Leader Diane Yatauro
1 West Street, Mineola, NY 11501
dyatauro@nassaucountyny.gov
516-571-6218

Minority Leader Peter Schmitt
1 West Street, Mineola, NY 11501
pschmitt@attglobal.net
516-571-6212

Please call us with any questions you might have. 516-626-0908

SMITHER'S PROPERTY FACT SHEET

The 25-acre Smither's property located inthe village of Mill Neck is an integral part of the State designated Shu Swamp Protection Area. It was listed as a priority acquisition in the 2006 NewYork State Open Space Plan. The acquisition of the Smither's Property alongwith a small portion of the Humes property will connect a series of previously identified important conservation lands which together will encompass almost 200 acres.

Understanding the important biological diversity and significance of this area, the non-profit North Shore Wildlife Sanctuary was formed in the 1960's to begin to preserve this area of exceptional environmental value. They raised private funds to open the Shu Swamp Preserve, the center of the designated conservation area, built trails and aparking area so that it could be shared with the public.

This area is home to several state endangered and "unusual" plants, brook trout, a nesting area for great horned owls and ruby throated hummingbirds. North Shore Audubon reported that the Smithers Pond had the largest population of wood ducks seen in all of Nassau County at this year’s Christmas Bird Count.

There is a stand of very rare tulip trees that have not been cut since the 1860's. (The last exceptional standof tulip trees brought to our attention was located in Grace Forest in NorthHills and was lost to development in 2006.)

The Smither's property which has been in private hands and unaccessible to the public prior to this time is the most important link in connecting this significant conservation area.

Smithers was ranked first on the Environmental Bond Advisory Committee’s list because of both its beauty and its environmental significance.

Island Swamp Brook and Mill Neck Creek are fed by the Smither's Ponds which empty into Beaver Lake. All three bodies are considered significant freshwater wetlands within the Oyster Bay Special Groundwater Protection Area. Mill Neck Creek's wetlands have also been identified as Significant Fish and Wildlife Habitat by the New York Department of State.

Stewardship for this property will be provided by the North Shore Wildlife Sanctuary at no additional cost to the County. The Shu Swamp preserve is open to the public and provides a plentiful parking area as well as designated trails.

Preventing Smither's from being acquired would be a real disservice to the 77% of Nassau County's residents that voted so enthusiastically to fund the 2006 Environmental Bond Program.

Community Announcements and Miscellaneous Postings

2008-02-06T10:55:00Z

Use this to post ads, announce events or post comments that do not fit with an existing topic.

You can let everyone know about Little League registration, bake sale, charity car wash or public meeting.

This is also the place for those off topic posts that you don't know where to put. If you think the topic warrants it's own thread, let us know here and we'll move it to the main page.

Again, the possibilities are endless.

Lock Your Doors, Open Your Eyes

2008-01-26T13:42:00Z

My neighbors on Arlington La. and I woke up yesterday morning to something that was disturbing on several levels. Three of our cars at three different houses had been entered, ransacked and burglarized overnight and mine had been vandalized. The items stolen included a camera, Tom-Tom GPS unit, a satellite radio receiver, 2 EZ pass transceivers and our (obviously misplaced) sense of security. All three of the cars were unlocked; Locked cars were passed over. In addition, permanent magic marker was used to scribble all over three windows of my truck, including the words "F%@# You N$&##%@". Since I am not black, this probably doesn't qualify as a hate crime -just a stupid one.

In subsequent conversations with members of the NCPD and others, I have learned that there have been a substantial number of these incidents in Bayville recently, including several just last week. Had we had that information before hand, we likely would have been more careful. There have also been a marked increase in these break-ins in Nassau County as a whole. GPS receivers seem to be a popular target.

A couple of years ago, a similar series of break-ins were connected to a group of local teenagers - though no charges were brought against them. At this point, it is unclear whether these more recent crimes are being committed by locals, or outsiders targeting Bayville because we normally don't have a significant incidence of crime and are subsequently somewhat lax when it comes to security. I have to admit, I made it ridiculously easy for them.

What is clear, is that the residents of Bayville need to be more vigilant. Obviously, lock your car doors. This will not only protect yourself, but will have the added benefit of making them have to work harder and longer to find what they want, making them more susceptible to being caught. If they are from outside of Bayville, they are also less likely to view us as an easy target. Also, open your eyes. If you see something that looks suspicious, do something. Take down a plate number, notify the police, let people know. Post information about any other incidents that have already occurred and any that occur in the future. Timely information is needed.

Hopefully we will see an increase in police patrols down our residential streets at night and the residents will report what they see. During the winter, Bayville's streets are as quiet as it gets; it's not like we would have to pick these people out of a crowd at 2AM.

Catching them would be the best revenge for the most valuable item that was stolen - our sense of security.

Barry E. Lamb

Bayville

Hearing on LI Sound Tunnel Proposal

2008-01-25T00:53:00Z

Senator Carl Marcellino held a hearing today in Oyster Bay regarding the Long Island Sound Tunnel Proposal. Below is the press release from the Senator.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: January 24, 2008

CONTACT: Kathy Wilson ( 516) 922-1811

MARCELLINO HOLDS HEARING ON LONG ISLAND SOUND TUNNEL PROPOSAL

Senator Carl L. Marcellino (R-Syosset) Chairman of the Senate Environmental Conservation Committee today held a joint hearing with the Senate Transportation Committee on the Long Island Sound Tunnel proposal.

This hearing afforded the committees the opportunity to question the developer about the project and to hear from government officials that represent the areas most directly affected. According to Senator Marcellino this is just the opening to an array of steps in the process.

"This is a serious proposal by serious people. It must be fully reviewed before we change the landscape of Long Island forever," Senator Marcellino said.

In preparation for the hearing Senator Marcellino visited the East Side Access tunnel project that will connect the Long Island Rail Road’s Main and Port Washington lines to a new terminal beneath Grand Central Terminal in Manhattan. There he witnessed first hand the workings of a 200 ton tunnel boring machine and the process used to remove the debris.

"Seeing first hand the process of building a tunnel gave me new insight to this proposal. The magnitude is astonishing," said Senator Marcellino.

"Through the course of this hearing I had the opportunity to ask many of my questions and questions of my constituent. Now I have a fuller understanding of what will be involved and the effect on the community, "

said Senator Marcellino.

Senator Marcellino had mailed the affected community and asked them to submit their concerns. In addition, on his web site, www.senatormarcellino.com, he has a quick poll to get the pulse of the community.

The proposed Long Island Sound tunnel is approximately 16 miles in length and would extend from Route 135 (Seaford-Oyster Bay Expressway) in Syosset, to the intersection of I-287 and I-95 in Rye, NY. The world’s longest roadway tunnel built in Norway is 15.2 miles

The project would be funded by the private sector and cost approximately $10 billion. The toll is estimated at $25 dollars one way.

The tunnel is expected to carry between 59,000 and 79,000 vehicles per day when it is completed in 2025. According to the Triborough Bridge and Tunnel Authority, annual average daily traffic in 2006 on the Queens Midtown Tunnel was 79,359.

Testifying at the hearing was Supervisor John Venditto of the Town of Oyster Bay,Vincent and Michael Polimeni of Polimeni International LLC, the engineering firm of Hatch Mott MacDonald, Dr. William Kelly, NYS Geologist, Professor Stanley Klein, Long Island University, Mayor Steven Otis of Rye, Valerie O’Keefe Supervisor of Mamaroneck, Mayor Drew Fixell of Tarrytown, Michael White, Executive Director of the Long Island Regional Planning Board and Mayor Harry Anand of the Village of Laurel Hollow.

In attendance were many of the local governmental leaders including, Mayor Vicki Segal, Mayor Tom Zoller, Councilwoman Rose Walker, Town Clerk Steve Labriola, Assemblyman Rob Walker and others.

"I thank everyone who came to offer their expertise and thoughts," concluded Senator Marcellino

Kathy D. Wilson

Communications Director

Senator Carl L. Marcellino - 5th Senate District 250 Townsend Square Oyster Bay, NY 11771

Phone: 516-922-1811 ** Fax: 516-922-1154 http://www.senatormarcellino.com

Bayville Lobster House Fire - 1/13/08

2008-01-15T10:29:00Z

There was a fire at the Bayville Lobster House on Sunday evening resulting in the loss of a historical building in the Bayville Commons built sometime during the turn of the century. Along with the Bayville Fire Company multiple area fire departments responded to the blaze and did an incredible job at protecting the nearby exposures. This was a close one. The entire row of stores on that corner could have easily been lost due to the older type of construction and the proximity of the buildings. Despite the intensity of the fire there were no major injuries. Residents living above the restaurant were taken to the hospital for observation and later released.

Fire Images by Nick and Butch

BRACT Press Conference

2007-12-02T22:15:00Z

There will be a press conference at the Water Tower this Thursday, December 6, 2007 at 3:30p.m. For all those who can make it, we look forward to seeing you there, and we thank you in advance for your support.

Sincerely,

The Members of BRACT

BayvilleResidentsACT.com

Residents of Locust Avenue Meeting

2007-10-30T15:56:00Z

Residents of Locust Avenue are meeting Tuesday, October 30th, 7:30 pm, at the Village Community Center to discuss what to do about the poor condition of Locust Avenue. Many residents are still angry over the handwritten notices containing spelling errors that were received by all 23 home owners ordering the repair of the road.

The first 90 feet of Locust is paved and was torn up years ago by the paving company that paved Godfrey Avenue. The Mayor, at the last Village meeting on October 22nd, has given tacit approval to having the town pay for the repaving of this black top portion of Locust. Residents probably will get together to get Locust Avenue graded. This would include grading and adding recycled concrete and/or crushed stone.

The mayor told us not to do too much because the Village and state DEC still are fighting over where to place the storm outlets for the Valentine Beach project.

Locust avenue residents have indicated to the mayor that abutting and local streets are also contributing to the rain run off problem on Locust. Murray and Oak Streets flood directly onto Locust Avenue and Private Road contributes considerable run off to the catch basins on Mountain Avenue.

I'll post the outcome of the meeting.

~ Woody Elmore

On the Sound - Fish Tales & Marine Madness

2007-09-29T23:41:00Z

I know what your thinking. Why put this out there now that the season is over, right? Well a lot of good fishing is just about to begin and I know there are a lot of you still out there on the weekends.

Use this spot to post your stories on the one that got away and just about anything else going on, in or around the water.

Jeff

Birches meeting at the Locust Valley Library

2007-08-24T01:13:00Z

On Monday, August 13th, an informational meeting was held at the Locust Valley Library to discuss the proposed Birches sewer treatment plant project. In particular, the meeting was set up to address the concerns some of the residents of the area had regarding the impact of the project, both during the construction phase and long term and to discuss the feasibility of an alternate location for the plant itself.

It was immediately apparent that this issue is finally getting the attention that it deserves from our elected officials. Present were; County Executive Tom Souzzi, Town Supervisor John Venditto, State Assemblyman Chuck Levine, County Legislator Diane Yatauro, Town Councilwoman Elizabeth Faughnan, Mayor Siegel, Mayor Williams, Mayor Michaelis and a representative from State Senator Marcellino’s office (I apologize if I have left anyone out). Both the Town and County had a number of people involved with the project present to answer questions and address concerns. The meeting room was filled to standing room only.

Long term concerns were pretty obvious to anyone who puts themselves in the position of living in the near vicinity of the plant itself; aesthetics of the lot and building, noise, smell and the effect on property values. Alternate sites had been previously suggested by some of the residents to move the plant farther from the area homes. Unfortunately, of the alternate sites suggested, the most feasible, in terms of design and construction, was a property acquired by Nassau County as open space several years ago, that is north of the development. When this option was explored it was found that it would take a bill passing both the NYS Senate and Assembly two years in a row to modify the open space designation. This delay was unacceptable to most in the room including the residents who lived farther away from the plant site. The one disconcerting thing about this meeting was that there seemed to be some resentment towards the residents close to the plant for raising these concerns. The other residents seemed to feel that they were trying to stop or delay the project for a prolonged period of time. Nothing could be further from the truth. Kyle Rabin and I had personally met with some of the nearby property owners prior to the meeting and they simply felt that all options needed to be considered in order to be sure that this solution was the best possible solution for all involved. I agree.

The residents were assured that the county was more than willing to address the aesthetics and that the building could be designed to look like a small house and that the noise and smell were also being addressed in the design of the plant and building. They were encouraged to meet with the design team for a more detailed explanation of the design and to raise any other concerns with them. They were also invited to tour another existing plant to get a better idea of the characteristics of this type of plant.

The timeframe and logistics of the construction phase were also discussed. The work is scheduled to begin this coming spring and should be completed within 18 months. When the project is complete the roads, which are in atrocious condition right now, will be re-paved. As of yet the cost sharing agreement has not been signed for reasons that are unclear to me. It should not take this long to iron out a 50/50 agreement.

The only other issue that seemed to be a sticking point with some residents is connecting the individual houses to the sewage collection system. This expense is to be the responsibility of the property owners and is likely to be several thousand dollars for each house. The plan right now is to require each homeowner to connect within a certain time frame. Each homeowner would contract separately with a private contractor to complete the work. There are several problems with this. Each homeowner would have to come up with the cash in one lump sum, there will be a delay in many of the houses hooking up (still contributing pollution to the bay), and it destines the area to continue to be in a state of construction for that additional time period. A much better solution would be for the County and/or Town to negotiate a price per house with the contractor doing the mainline installation to connect all of the houses and then assess each property over a period of several years to recover the money laid out.

Considering what we are dealing with, the residents seem to be relieved that this problem will finally be addressed. No more cesspool problems, new roads, and the stigma that has been associated with this community finally gone. This can only lead to a better quality of life and increased property values.

Not to mention a cleaner bay.

Barry E. Lamb

Bayville Blog

Build TR Museum Instead of Avalon Bay Apartments

2007-07-26T22:46:00Z

As a builder, I believe that the Avalon Bay project on Pine Hollow Road, Oyster Bay is grossly out of line with current zoning laws and does not fit in with the character of the community. Why can't Avalon Bay make a proposal that fits within the current scope of the zoning laws that the Town already established through great dialog over the years with builders and the community?

I sense that many in the community feel similarly or are not sure what opinion to make because the alternative to Avalon Bay is unknown. Very little attention has been brought to the area south of the Bahnik Boys n' Girls Club until Avalon Bay made their proposal several years ago. The focus of the Oyster Bay Hamlet Plan adopted in 2002 and other rejuvenation efforts have been on areas north of the Lexington Avenue and Berry Hill Road intersection. Now that there is a focus on the southern area of town, we need to come together to find a solution to improving it. It is a reality that something will be built and operate at the Avalon Bay site at some point; so, we need to let developers, builders, and officials know what we will support. Then, perhaps we can all move forward and focus energy on improving the rest of our great community.

While we stand up to Avalon Bay's ridiculous proposal, we must also begin the dialog about the future of the site. I propose that the site be developed as the future museum on President Theodore Roosevelt. There is enough room to build a museum, have parking on-site, and to create an area for jitneys to maneuver. A museum generally is open during regular daytime hours, would be a more quiet neighbor than a retail establishment or an apartment complex with 24/7 activity, and tours could be connected to support the downtown establishments during regular business hours like the railroad museum is already doing.

One side of Town is anchored by Sagamore Hill, another by the Oyster Bay Railroad museum highlighting TR's use of the Oyster Bay line, and closer to the middle of town are both the Bahnik Boys n' Girls Club and the grand TR statue. We should spruce up the south side of town by anchoring it with a TR museum not an over sized apartment complex.

I believe we can get the community, Avalon Bay, the Town of Oyster Bay, the Theodore Roosevelt Association, Charles Wang, and other philanthropists interested in developing the site into something sustainable that fits in. Avalon Bay touts that they care so much about community character, then they should prove it by developing something within the scope of the law or help develop the property as something sustainable like a TR museum.

Oyster Bay was TR's home, let's focus on this. If you want to help me with this concept you can call me at 922-8145.

Sincerely,

Greg Van Dyke
Van Dyke Building & Construction Management

Inc. Village of Bayville Opens "Green Market"

2007-07-10T11:40:00Z

The Inc. Village of Bayville has opened a GREEN MARKET on Saturday mornings from 8 a.m. until noon. They are selling organic fruit and produce. They also have organic pies. The market is staffed with volunteers. Anyone interested in participating please contact Kate Naughton at 628-1464 or via e-mail at Kate831@optonline.net.

Local farmers are welcome to participate.

Submitted by Admin at the request of Kate Naughton

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Silver Bay Spice & Trading Co. will also be there offering some of their hard to find gourmet food items and all natural products such as Sea Salts, Hot Sauces, Unique Spices, Exotic Coffee and Teas. Visit us on the web- silverbayspices.com

See you there, Saturday's from 8AM - 12PM!

Sorry, I couldn't resist the plug

Jeff Silver

Bayville Fire Co. 1 to host the 104th Nassau County Firefighters Parade & Drill

2007-06-27T20:05:00Z

On July 13th & 14th, the Bayville Fire Company will be hosting the 104th Nassau County Firefighters Parade & Drill. The Fire Company is hosting this event in recognition and honor of Ex-Chief Robert Broccolo being elected as President of the Nassau County Firemen's Association. The members are proud to support Ex-Chief Broccolo as he is the third member of the Bayville Fire Company to hold this honor in the 85 years of the Fire Company's existence.

We would like to provide you with a schedule of events and how these festivities may impact our residents over the course of the weekend:

* Friday July 13th - Old Fashioned Drill at Firemen's Field in Oyster Bay.

This event will begin at 6:00 and will test the competing teams skills in ladder and hose events. The night will end with the traditional Bucket Brigade and the Nassau County Old Fashioned Champion will be crowned.

* Saturday July 14th - Motorized Drill at Firemen's Field in Oyster Bay.

This will be a test of skill as motorized racing vehicles will be used for various ladder & hose events. The tournament will end as the teams compete in the traditional Bucket Brigade. The Nassau County Motorized Champion will be crowned during this highly competitive event. The days events are scheduled to begin at 9:30am.

* Saturday July 14th - the 104th Nassau County Firemen's Association Parade.

Fire Departments from across Nassau County will be judged in this spectacular display of apparatus and firefighters. The parade is scheduled to begin at 6:00pm, but you should be aware of some road closures prior to the start of the parade.

At 5:00 - Bayville Avenue will be closed to all traffic other than those participating in the parade. This closure will be in effect from Ludlam Avenue west to Perry Avenue. Traffic will be permitted on Bayville Avenue east of Ludlam with out closures. Bayville Avenue west of Perry Avenue will remain open until 6:00.

The parade will be ending at Ransom Beach where refreshments and souvenirs will be available.

This event has been in the planning stages for over two years and the Fire Company has been working with the Nassau County Police Department and the Village Officials to see to every detail. Various neighborhood associations have been contacted as well to share critical information about the events leading up to the parade as well as during.

We hope to welcome the various fire departments to our beautiful village and that everyone enjoys the day.

The Officers & Members of the Bayville Fire Company

Bayville Residents Against Cell Towers (B.R.A.C.T.)

2007-06-26T10:56:00Z

We are Bayville Residents Against Cell Towers (B.R.A.C.T.), a group of residents that love our Village. We are not against Bayville; we are against the decisions that led to the cell phone antennas that are presently on our water tower, as well as the proposed new police equipment to be added. We are not against the concept of protecting our residents during emergencies but we object strongly to their improper placement across the street from our elementary schools, atop an already very compromised water tower.

Because we love our Village, our children and our residents, we no longer wish to live with a situation that makes us feel unsafe and uncomfortable. We have expressed our concnerns to Mayor Siegel and the Village Trustees, but to no avail. While the Mayor and Trustees believe the antennas to be safe, there is overwhelming evidence indication the harmful effects of these antennas. It is our strong belief that the cellular towers that aim directly toward our children's schools pose a serious and eminent threat to the occupants of the schools. This deep concern felt by many of the residents (particularly parents of school children) wss voiced at each of the public hearings. Unfortunately, these concerns were ignored by the very people whole role is to serve the needs and well being of its constituency. Left with no other recourse, we residents must pursue our court system to uphold our legal rights to voice our concern and be heard.

We want our safe Bayville back. We want those antennas gone so that we do not add another toxic factor to the air we breathe and perhaps the water we drink. We need your help. For those of you who share our concerns, please support our mission. We are collecting funds in order to further our cause. Any monies collected shall go directly to fighting the existing and proposed towers atop the water tower (i.e.legal fees). All checks should be made payable to Bayville Residents Against Cell Towers and sent to B.R.A.C.T, PO Box 68, Bayville, NY 11709. Additionally, please do not hesitate to contact Madeleine Perrin or Jo-Tina DeGennaro at 628-3997 or by mail at PO Box 68, Bayville, NY 11709 if you have any questions or insight regarding this issue. We prefer all communications be addressed directly by phone or mail rather than the blog.

Thank you.
Madeleine Perrin

Moved by Admin at the request of Jo-Tina DeGennaro
Originally posted under VOB Accepts NCPD Proposal on 6/20/07

Let the Children Play!

2007-06-21T00:21:00Z

The Poczatek's attorney asked for a motion to dismiss the charges against the Poczatek’s due to the fact that it violates their 14th Amendment rights.

The 14th Amendment reads-

Section 1. All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside. No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.

The Poczatek’s were charged with violating the following Village Code-

42-3. Enumeration of prohibited noises.

J. The shouting and crying of peddlers, hawkers and vendors which disturbs the peace and quiet of the neighborhood.

The Poczatek’s attorney expressed concern that the neighbor has video tape of their 5 and 11 year old children (and possibly others) playing in the pool in their bikinis. They family wants the tape turned in and destroyed.

After the motion to dismiss, the Village Counsel stated that the people rest and that all charges against the Poczatek’s be dropped.

Jeff S

Shhhh!!! Children Playing...

2007-06-20T17:26:00Z

If you somehow missed the story about the Bayville parents that will be appearing in court tonight for their children making too much noise while playing, here is the Newsday article. The story has also had a lot of airplay on News 12 today at the top and bottom of the hour. The parents are due in Bayville Court tonight at 7PM to answer a noise complaint filed against them by a neighbor living behind them (with no children), saying that their children are too noisy while playing and swimming. Perhaps it’s time for adult only community?

More on this after tonight’s Court session...

Jeff S

Town Response on the Birches

2007-05-18T15:59:00Z

I received a letter from Supervisor Venditto yesterday in response to my letter, representing Residents for the Protection of Mill Neck Creek, regarding the Birches issue. Those of you who also sent in letters may have received a similar response. I have taken the time to re-type the body of the letter below, as it has some interesting new developments and shows that our efforts are indeed making a difference.

   Re: The Birches, Locust Valley

Dear Mr. Lamb:

This correspondence is in reply to your recent letter regarding the above referenced subject.

Over the past several months, the Town of Oyster Bay has engaged in productive discussions with both Nassau County and New York State in an effort to reach a satisfactory resolution to mitigate the water quality impacts that have resulted from malfunctioning sewage disposal systems in the Birches development in Locust Valley. The Town and the County are currently in the process of preparing an inter-municipal agreement to create the necessary legal framework which will provide for a 50-50 cost sharing arrangement for the construction of a community sewage treatment plant and collection system, and the rehabilitation of the local street network. It is expected that this agreement will be executed within the next few months.

Once the inter-municipal agreement is in place, the Town and County will complete the engineering design for the project. The plans for the sewage treatment plant already have essentially been finalized. Of the remaining components of the project, the Town will oversee the design of the roadway and drainage improvements, while the County will be responsible for the sewage collection system. The actual construction work will commence after a contractor has been selected through a competitive bidding process, subsequent to completion of the engineering design. In the interim, the Town and County will continue to pursue additional State funding, and we encourage you and your neighbors to support this effort by contacting your elected State representatives.

Although the community's eagerness for an expeditious conclusion to this matter is understandable, it is difficult at this time to forecast when precisely the Birches treatment plant will come on line. However, please be assured that the end is finally in sight; the process is now fully in gear and is moving steadily toward a resolution.

Please feel free to contact our Environmental Consultant, John Ellsworth, at 677-5824, if you have any questions.

                                                    Very Truly Yours,

                                                    John Venditto
                                                    Town Supervisor

                                                    Leonard Genova
                                                    Deputy Supervisor

The cost sharing agreement has been a major stumbling block in resolving this issue, so this is an important step. There is no question in my mind that the letters generated on this blog were the driving force behind this agreement.  After years of debate, when the constituents of these two municipalities voiced their impatience, a simple agreement to share the costs equally suddenly became palpable to both parties. As I've said before - it's all our money anyway. Those of you who took the time to send a letter, or even better, solicited letters from others, should congratulate yourselves - you did your part. Thanks.

It is encouraging to see the Town and County working together and it shows that the process can work, even if it is far more cumbersome that it needs to be, and I have more hope that this very real threat to public health will finally be resolved than I have ever had before. I will, however, withhold my thanks and praise for the day when the problem is actually solved and raw sewage has stopped flowing into Mill Neck Creek.

Barry E. Lamb
Bayville

Breast Cancer Survivor Stories

2007-05-08T00:41:00Z

Hello. I am a breast cancer survivor, and currently working on a book- a collection of memoirs, stories and artwork from other breast cancer survivors. The stories can be fiction-loosely related to the cancer experience, survivor stories, and related artwork.

I hope to sell this (I am a published writer and journalist) and to earmark at least 1/2 of the profits for a breast cancer survivor's scholarship fund, since there doesn't seem to be anything of the sort anywhere.

I expect to pay contributors a small honorarium upon publishing contract-possibly earlier. Right now this is a one-woman project, and I am looking for contributors.

Stephanie Davy
stphndavy@yahoo.com

~posted by Admin at the request of Stephanie Davy~

Classifieds

2007-05-02T10:09:00Z

Use this to post ads to sell, swap or give away just about anything, or to advertise services. Used cars, babysitters, yard sales, kids looking to shovel snow, or a lightly used bicycle that your kid outgrew and you can’t bear to throw away – give it to someone who can use it. If you over estimated the amount of paint or other household chemicals that you needed and have a couple of gallons left over, maybe someone can use it rather that throwing it into the waste stream.

It could also be used in conjunction with classifieds printed in the local papers. Briefly advertise your yard sale or car and give them this web address for a listing of items that will be offered or more details about the car.

Again, the possibilities are endless.

Erosion

2007-05-01T11:22:00Z

The condition of our sound side beaches has been a topic that I have been meaning to address since the very beginning of this forum. In fact, I listed it as one of the issues to be addressed in my very first entry. Unfortunately, there have been so many other issues since then that I have not had time to address it properly and so I will attempt to do so now.

Our beaches have been the single most significant factor in Bayville's creation as a community, history, development, economy and quality of life, yet they have been allowed to deteriorate to the point where some no longer exist. The erosion at Center Island Beach has destroyed the entire eastern end of the beach and dune and Ransom Beach (from here on referred to as the "Ransom Sea Wall") simply no longer exists. This threatens both the quality of life and the economic viability of an entire community, and yet no significant effort has been made to save them. As the beaches disappear, so do the people who use them. The result can be seen in the vacant buildings throughout Bayville that once housed thriving businesses and as these properties deteriorate, the area becomes even less likely to attract outsiders.

Several years ago I attended an informational meeting at the Bayville Intermediate School, regarding a study being done by the Army Corp of Engineers. They had just received a grant (I believe it was $5,000,000.00) to study beach erosion on the north shore and ways to address it. To my knowledge they have not been heard from since. It may be time for us to request an update on how that money has been spent.

Jeff has put some photos that I have taken on the following web page, but to really understand just how bad this problem has become, you need to take a walk at each site. Just make sure you don't go at high tide.

http://smalltownblog.com/bayvilleblog/Beach%20Erosion/

At Center Island, the beach and dune have been eroding at an alarming rate. Photos 1 & 2 show the erosion and the ill-conceived attempt to fix the problem. Over the years, as the beach and dune has disappeared, they have been replaced by an ever longer sea wall constructed of steel, rocks, broken concrete and a guard rail that appears to be designed primarily to stop people who have the audacity to pull off to the side of the road to enjoy the view. In fact, all of this has gone a long way towards destroying the view, and the aesthetics of this once beautiful piece of roadway have been completely ruined. More importantly, it has done nothing to stop the erosion, but appears to have accelerated it. The wall is obviously intended to protect only the roadway, leaving the beach to fend for itself. The lifeguard building has been so undermined that it is in danger of collapsing into the Sound (photo 3). The erosion extends all the way past the west end of the beach and may soon endanger the private homes in that area.

Photo 4 shows what I am told are markers that have been set up to mark to rate of erosion over the last several months. They were set up at the front edge of the dune and new rows set periodically as it washed away. I took Photo 5 to show how the vegetation on a natural dune system catches and traps wind-blown sand. As you can see, over the years, the built up sand has nearly buried the fence. These photos were all taken prior to the latest Nor'easter. Photos 6, 7 and 8 were taken after and show further damage to the dune.

Photos 9, 10 and 11 were all taken at the Ransom Sea Wall. This sea wall was constructed a few years ago, after losing several sections of the concrete curb that border the parking lot. So little consideration was given to saving the beach that no access way was even provided to allow people to get to the water from the parking lot. If you look closely at the pictures you will see that the sea wall has accelerated the erosion at the bottom of the wall and at the end of the wall, where a futile attempt was made to protect that section from the oncoming storm by placing boulders with a payloader. It is obvious that a decision was made to allow the beach to disappear, leaving us with a municipal parking lot and a playground.

Unfortunately, far more resources have been devoted to saving asphalt and concrete than have been devoted to saving our beaches and dunes. The solutions that have been attempted over the years have been conjured up by engineers whose specialty is designing structures made of concrete and steel and, when all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail. It is beyond time for the people who have been making these misguided decisions to admit that the current course of action cannot work and look towards an alternative solution.

Dunes are the natural way to control erosion. In a natural system the dunes, and more importantly the vegetation that grow on them, catch sand that is constantly being blown across the beach. In this way they grow higher and larger. When a storm takes some of the sand from the dune, the dune is replenished naturally and so there is an ebb and flow to the dune. In the case of Center Island beach, the dune is unable to grow on the backside because there is a road there, and the dune became too narrow to catch the blowing sand. Because of this, and the loss of vegetation from people walking on it, the dune has been unable to replenish itself. We have all seen the windblown sand that builds up on the roadway behind the dune and is swept up and discarded. Years ago, the Town of Oyster Bay would install several rows of snow fence along the front of the dune to aid the dune in catching the sand and rebuilding itself, but in recent years even this simple attempt at maintenance has been abandoned.

At this point, the problem is far beyond a simple maintenance task. The dune and beach east of the lifeguard building either no longer exists or is so depleted that it is no longer functioning. This area needs to be completely rebuilt. This is not an easy or inexpensive undertaking and would almost certainly involve dredging an inordinate amount of sand from the underwater portions of the beach. The rebuilt dune would then need to be replanted, protected and maintained by replacing any sand along the front that is lost and taking measures to protect it each winter. The dune to the west of the building is still wide enough and large enough to function properly, but only if it is replenished along the beach side of the dune and then protected and maintained. In comparison to rebuilding, this is by far the cheaper and easier solution and should be undertaken immediately.

To continue along the path that has been followed in the past will result in the total loss of our beaches, and an erosion of the economic viability of Bayville's commercial enterprises and our quality of life.

Barry E. Lamb
Bayville

Village of Bayville Accepts NCPD Antenna Proposal

2007-04-24T01:52:00Z

The Village of Bayville accepted the Nassau County Police Department’s proposal to put a High Tech Microwave Radio System on the village water tower despite public outcry. The reason for the public's concern is the location of the Microwave Antennae which will be across the street from the Bayville Primary School. During the course of the meeting Mayor Siegel had the NCPD remove one of the attendees who was voicing his concern due to the proximity of his home which is directly across from the proposed site.

After the meeting the floor was opened up to questions from the audience. Many residents spoke about their concerns and potential health risks for the children attending the school resulting from the constant exposure to the radio frequency radiation. The Village based their decision on the proposal that there is no evidence that the emissions from the microwave system pose any health concerns, and are "within or below acceptable limits". Two of the village trustees voted no to the proposal.

There was also concern about the existing cellular sites on the tower and the need to remove or limit the amount of these types of structures. The Village currently receives in excess of $200,000 per year in lease agreements from the cellular companies for the space on the tower.

-Jeff Silver

Reminder - Vote on the NCPD Antenna Project April 23rd 7:30PM

2007-04-19T10:33:00Z

APRIL 23rd, during a regular meeting the Village of Bayville board will vote on the Police Cell Tower project.

It is very important that people concerned with this project show their face. The Mayor has been qouted in a local paper as saying, there is diminishing opposition for the project because less people were at the second meeting.

Even if you sent a letter, made a call to Village HAll or signed a petition....you need to show up to show your opposition. Packing VH like the residents did at the first meeting, obviously makes a difference to the board.

Stand up for the children....we are their last line of defense.
Thank you.

Margaret

(Moved by Admin- originally posted as a comment to last months meeting)

The Birches Gets News12 Coverage

2007-04-18T22:20:00Z

News 12 is running a story about the Birches tonight, so I am putting this in the main page in the hope that some of you will get to see it when you get the e-mail notification.

It seems the snowball we started down the hill has gotten bigger on it's own.

Barry ...

Catching Up

2007-04-13T10:03:00Z

It’s been awhile since my last entry (I was away for a short vacation and life has gotten in the way since) and I wanted to catch up with a few brief updates and community announcements. These lulls in activity on the blog are the reason anyone who wants to keep up with what we are doing should subscribe. If you are going to subscribe, make sure you subscribe to the blog itself rather than to a particular entry. When you subscribe to the blog on the main page, you will get an e-mail notification whenever a new entry is posted. If you subscribe to a particular entry, you will be bombarded with e-mails every time someone posts a comment for that entry.

The Birches covered in The Oyster Bay Enterprise Pilot:

There is an article this week in the Enterprise Pilot that covers the sewer meeting in Cold Spring Harbor last week and highlights the Birches. This is exactly the kind of mainstream coverage that we needed to get more people involved and put pressure on our elected officials to resolve their cost sharing differences. The way I see it, it’s all our money anyway.

You can read the article at:

http://www.antonnews.com/oysterbayenterprisepilot/2007/04/13/news/

If anyone would be willing to write an editorial to submit, it would go a long way towards keeping the issue in the spotlight.

The following notice s were sent out by Friends of the Bay, so I am passing them on. Taking part in these events is the best way to meet like minded people and to get involved.

Operation Clean Sweep:

Earth Day 2007

Operation Clean Sweep

Downtown Oyster Bay

Sunday, April 22, 2007
8:00 am Meet at Appliance World
12:30 pm Bandstand Ceremony

presented by
Friends of the Bay
The Oyster Bay Chamber of Commerce
The Oyster Bay Civic Association
Oyster Bay Main Street Association

Spring Flowers, "Adopt-a-Block" Sponsors, Street Sweep, Coastal Clean-Up and more...

A "Clean Oyster Bay" poster design contest is planned for our local children.

These events are made possible through the generous financial support of
The John Specce Agency - State Farm Insurance
Ryan Beck & Co. - The Alex Gallego Group
The State Bank of Long Island - Oyster Bay

Thank you to our Earth Day Volunteers & Supporters
Atlantic Steamer Fire Company, Boys Scouts & Cub Scouts of America
Girls Scouts & Brownies of the USA, Dodds & Eder,
Oyster Bay Fire Company, OBEN District Schools, Whole Foods

Want to volunteer? Bring the whole family!

E-mail us at: muir.deguzman@oysterbaychamber.org

Stop Avalon Meeting:

SAVE-THE-DATE - Coalition to STOP AVALON Informational Meeting

The Coalition to STOP AVALON is holding an Informational Meeting on Saturday, April 28, 5-7 P.M., at the Sagamore Yacht Club in Oyster Bay to provide an update on AvalonBay's proposal for a super-high-density apartment complex in the Hamlet of Oyster Bay.

RECAP:

After stating that a complex much less than 300 units was not economically viable, Avalon withdrew that application in July 2006 in response to Town Supervisor Venditto's public expression that the proposal was ".so widely unacceptable.", but then purchased the former Hallock Chevrolet site in Oyster Bay (across from the existing BMW dealership) in August 2006 for $8.68 million.

Avalon is poised to file another application with the Town of Oyster Bay for a 150-unit super-high-density rental complex at the former Hallock site. While the application has not been formally submitted, Avalon's website for the proposed complex confirmed its intention to construct a 150-UNIT 4-STORY RENTAL COMPLEX ON THE 5-ACRE SITE. Based on the Town's highest permitted density for this form of housing, the maximum number of units for a properly zoned 5-acre site would be 80, with maximum building heights of no more than 2-stories. A report on the website sets monthly rental prices of $1,650 (studio), $2,400 (1-bedroom), and $3,000 (2-bedroom).

Village of Bayville Beach Clean Up:

Bayville will also be having an Earth Day beach clean up. Volunteers are asked to report to Soundside Beach on April 21, 2007 at 9:00 am

More entries to come:

Over the next few weeks I will do my best to post some new entries on various topics, including the erosion at Center Island Beach (and the Ransom Sea Wall) and a MNBM update.

Be patient.

(and subscribe)

Barry E. Lamb

Bayville

Village Board Meeting - 3/26/07

2007-03-27T10:05:00Z

Information and comments from the monthly Village Board Meeting that occured on March 26th at 7:30PM. ...

President Streets Drainage Project

2007-03-21T22:13:00Z

When dealing with the kind of issues that we deal with here on the Blog, it is always a concern that I am perceived as someone who is forever critical about what others are doing. Lets face it, it is human nature to not comment when things are going the way that we wish them to, and to get very vocal when they are not. I am no different. Plus it is the controversial issues that keep people checking in here at the Blog and, as you have seen from what we are doing with the MNBM and Birches letter writing campaign, keeping people reading is all part of the plan. Numbers are important and keeping people motivated, even more so.

It is imperative to our credibility that we resist the urge to be monotonously critical.

Last night Jeff and I attended the informational meeting regarding the proposed President Streets Drainage project that was held by the Village at the Bayville Intermediate School. The engineering firm H2M gave a presentation to describe the preliminary plans to address the flooding that often occurs on Bayville Ave. when high tide and a significant precipitation event occur simultaneously. The plan is to install a substantial number of leaching pools in series along Bayville Ave. from School St. to (I believe) Bay Beach Ave. The purpose of these pools is to capture as much rainwater as possible to be leached back into the ground water prior to it reaching the low points near the President Streets where the flooding occurs.

Equally as important, this project will reduce the amount of pollutants that will enter Mill Neck Creek, by capturing what is called the "first flush". This is the first of the storm water to run into the catch basins during a major rainstorm, and more often than not these leaching pools will collect all of the runoff from lesser events. The first flush has, by far, the highest concentrations of pollutants including litter, debris, silt, petroleum products and more. This project will undoubtedly result in far fewer contaminants entering our waters. Most of the pollutants can then be removed during routine maintenance of the leaching pools.

Mayor Siegel and the Board of Trustees are to be commended for their efforts in this area. They have a long history of making these improvements and an outstanding track record of obtaining grants for this purpose. In addition, holding meetings such as this during the design phase, when people can make suggestions and voice concerns when they may actually have a chance to be addressed, is the proper way to keep the community involved. It was unfortunate that more did not choose to do so, as attendance was less than spectacular.

The only disappointment had more to do with Nassau County than with the Village. Unfortunately there are no plans at this time for the Nassau County catch basins to be up-graded and retrofitted with litter excluding devices to keep litter from entering the drainage system, and subsequently the Bay, in the first place. This would be Nassau County’s responsibility as the basins are theirs.

I certainly hope that Mayor Siegel and the Board of Trustees continue to make these projects a priority in the future. There is still much to be done in this area.

Barry E. Lamb
Bayville

Shadow Reduced, But Not By Me

2007-03-18T15:15:00Z

On Friday afternoon, I stopped in Village Hall to review the building file for the new structure next to Twin Harbors. As you can imagine, I am not the most popular person there, but on Friday I was met by a building inspector who was very obviously perturbed at me. I normally am pretty unconcerned about this type of thing, but in this case it was different because on at least one aspect of this issue, he was right. After looking at the approved plans for the building (my time was limited because I came at the end of the day), it was apparent that the contractor had exceeded the scope of the building permit by adding knee walls that were nearly 5 ½ feet high to raise the roof, effectively creating a second story. This second story was constructed on Saturday when Village Hall is closed. The approved plans clearly showed much lower knee walls designed to facilitate attic storage, where the ones built were obviously designed for future living space. Upon learning of this on Monday, he immediately contacted the contractor and instructed him to remove the highest story and connect the rafters directly to the top plate (no knee walls). The Building Inspector felt that he had been hung out to dry without having a chance to correct the problem or explain his position. To add insult to injury, I then took credit for getting the second story torn down in my second post without first getting the facts. For that I apologize. The second story was without question nothing more than a builder going beyond what was approved.

We then discussed some other aspects of the project and the non-conforming code section, and while we certainly don’t agree on some issues, the fact that he could point to the wording of the code and have me understand his reasoning shows that there is a problem with the code. Everyone needs to understand that a building departments power to "allow" or "disallow" a project is derived from the codes as written and the wording of the code is everything.

There are several sections of this code that, in my opinion, are inadequate or ambiguous. The most striking example is this statement in the alterations section: "Any alteration to a nonconforming use or building, other than an alteration which would not change the building's front setback, side yard or rear yard, must be applied for to the Board of Appeals…". This statement doesn’t address anything other than setbacks and our bulk regulations do not address floor area.

As an example, let’s take a 100 x 100 property that has six non-conforming, one-story bungalows on it and is not in a flood zone. With the current code, even though the bungalows far exceed lot coverage limits, the owner could add second stories to each of the six buildings, providing he stays within the height limit. In doing this he would not affect any of the setbacks whatsoever and so would not run astray of the non-conforming structure code. He would also not be increasing lot coverage or causing a conflict with any of the other bulk regulations. The result would be that the floor area would be doubled, resulting in more bedrooms, more people, more cars, more sewage, more garbage, more children in school………

The solution to this is to modify the non-conforming use code and add a Floor Area Ratio to the zoning code of each district. By increasing the floor area in relation to the area of the building lot, the builder would now be increasing the degree of non-conformity and the permit would be denied by the building inspector based on hard numbers and a clear and concise code with a legitimate intent.

Barry E. Lamb

Bayville