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Friday, April 20, 2018
Vol. 78, No. 16
LIRR parking garage to close for summer
TOWN BLOOD DRIVE
BY GARY SIMEONE
Oyster Bay Town Councilman Joseph D. Muscarella (back row, third from left) met with the Town of Oyster Bay Blood Drive captains and chairpersons to discuss logistics and outreach for the upcoming blood drive to be held at Town Hall South, 977 Hicksville Road in Massapequa on Thursday, April 26th. Those wishing to sign up and donate, or anyone in need of additional information, call Nancy Haarstick of Councilman Muscarella’s office at 516-624-6304 or visit the Town’s website at www.oysterbaytown.com.
Town plans Harbor & Beach Cleanup Day
The annual Oyster Bay Harbor & Beach Cleanup will be held on Saturday, April 21. The event is co-sponsored by the joined forces of the Town of Oyster Bay, the North Oyster Bay Baymen’s Association (NOBBA), and Friends of the Bay. This environmental event is scheduled to kick-off at 8AM “This great event features Town employees and volunteers rolling up their sleeves and working side by side to clean-up the beaches and shoreline areas along Oyster
Bay Harbor,” Town Supervisor Joseph Saladino said. “With Earth Day right around the corner, this important environmental initiative is the perfect way to pitch in and help make a difference!” Volunteers are invited to participate in the cleanup, which will run from 8AM to 12PM. The central meeting place will be Theodore Roosevelt Memorial Park launching ramps and waterfront gazebo off of Larrabee Avenue, Oyster Bay. Additional locations
for the clean-up include Theodore Roosevelt Beach in Oyster Bay, Stehli Beach in Bayville, and Centre Island Beach in Bayville. Typically, in years past, harbor and beach clean-up events have resulted in about forty thousand pounds of debris collected by volunteers. Individuals and groups who are interested can get further information by calling the Town’s Department of Environmental Resources at 677-5943.
The Town of Oyster Bay’s LIRR parking garage facility in Hicksville is set to close this summer for multiple repair work. The facility will be closed for 90 days, beginning July 9th through the end of September. The four level multi-million dollar parking facility has been a source of ire and frustration for LIRR commuters since it reopened in 2011. “It seems there are always problems with this parking garage, and it is really hard to find a spot in here,” said Hicksville resident and LIRR commuter Michael Caputo. “I’ve gotten to the point where I’ll just park somewhere else for the day and walk the longer distance to the station.” Caputo was not alone in his frustration about the temporary closure of the facility. Linda Bailoff, who commutes back and forth to work at the Hicksville station, said she was fed up with the constant construction of the parking facility. “At this point, I just have my husband drop me off earlier in the morning,” said Bailoff. “I don’t even bother trying to find a spot in the morning. It’s ridiculous.” A spokesperson from the Town said that the summer closure will be at a time when the garage is least utilized and necessary repairs can be completed in a timely and efficient manner. “The Town is working quickly to minimize the impact of the garage’s temporary closure, provide alternative parking and shuttle service for residents, and hold the contractors responsible for the cost of repairs,” said the spokesperson. Repairs to the multilevel facility will include replacing four severely damaged support slabs, installing joints to help with concrete expansion during extreme weather conditions, and fixing elevators that are often out of service. The Town said they would consider looking for alternative parking spots in the nearby Broadway Mall, with shuttle bus service provided during peak hours. The garage has been plagued with problems since it reopened in 2011, replacing a 37 year old structure that was demolished after being deemed unsafe by County officials. Last year, the Town sued a team of architects and builders of the new garage after the facility developed cracks and leaks shortly after its opening in 2011. The Town spent over $65 million to demolish the old parking facility and build a new one in its place.
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