The Garden City News (2/16/18)

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Friday, February 16, 2018

Vol. 94, No.22

FOUNDED 1923

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LOCALLY OWNED AND EDITED

Two cathedrals PAGE 42 n Scout Sunday PAGE 32

LIRR exercises rights to seize Village property in West

ON TO THE PLAYOFFS!

BY RIKKI N. MASSAND

As part of the controversial LIRR Third Track project the New York State Department of Transportation is acquiring property from the village, namely passive greenspaces on the north end of New Hyde Park Road at the intersection with Clinch Avenue next to the New Hyde Park railroad station, west of Greenridge Avenue. The Board of Trustees’ meeting agenda for Thursday night, February 8, listed the purpose behind the acquisitions as use of the parcels as staging areas and related purposes, and New York State has condemned the properties which are adjacent to the existing tracks and along Garden City’s northwest border. Department of Public Works Superintendent Joseph DiFrancisco commented that the long strip of grass featuring the “Welcome to Garden City” is part of this purchase, and the strip on the west end of New

The Garden City High School Boys Basketball team finished its season undefeated (18-0) and is headed to the playoffs. Above, co-captain Andrew DeSantis gets ready to shoot. See pages 60-61.

The Board of Trustees’ meeting held Thursday, February 8 at Village Hall featured a sneak peek into both the upcoming municipal budget workshop and fiscal accountability among various departments, as well as costs related to the much-anticipated summer pool season in Garden City. Kevin Ocker, village department head for Recreation and Parks, described the need to amend the existing and ongoing study for the Village Pool facility, as Cameron Engineering will have a specific

scope of work added to the original proposal it has managed on the bath house project. Corrective measures for the mens’ shower area and courtyard are immediate issues and Cameron is contracted to also perform a study of the pool mechanical and filtration equipment, pool water chemistry, and electrical and ventilation systems. Cameron Engineering’s contract was ballasted with another $18,350 approved by trustees, as the agenda stated funds come out of the pool facility renovations capital project. See page 26

Hyde Park Road would be included. The prices offered are $610,000 for the portion closer to the station and $126,000 for the “Welcome to Garden City” sign’s smaller island. DiFrancisco said the Board of Trustees’ approval for the agenda item would accept the terms stated and it reserved a right for the village to go back at a later date and challenge the costs. Village Attorney Peter Bee told the Board the MTA/ LIRR has the power of condemnation over the property, “even over property owned by Garden City.” He said they exercised the right and already have taken titles for the two parcels in question. “Having taken the title, what is left open is the price to be paid to the village...the process involves making sure that the village gets fair, reasonable compensation for that which has been taken. The execution of these agreements allows See page 27

Election processes debated after CPOA runoff

Pool drainage work, filtering study raises finance questions BY RIKKI N. MASSAND

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BY RIKKI N. MASSAND The next mayor of the Village of Garden City, facing the start of her new Board of Trustees’ term this April after prevailing in a late January Central section runoff, found herself in the middle of a debate over the POA process of nominations at the February 13th meeting of the Central Property Owners Association. During the CPOA meeting, held at

the Golf Club Lane Senior Center, a discussion of the POA election process took place, a subject which had received little attention since 2015, the last time a challenge emerged into a POA runoff election. At that time, the Eastern Property Owners Association held a runoff, ultimately seeing Nicholas Episcopia win the trustee position over Dennis Donnelly and become mayor two months later. His successor, Mayor See page 26

Friends of STEM: Rocking for Robotics PAGE 38 The Heyday of Rock and Roll at GCC T PAGE 25


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