Rockville Centre Herald 05-04-2023

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_____________ ROCKVILLE CENTRE ____________

HERALD

SCAN BELOW FOR NEW S ON LOCAL INSURANCE RA TES

LOOK InsIde

May 4, 2023

Celebrating Mom Celebrating nurses

Inside

VOL. 34 nO. 19

4.9

student art exhibit debuts at library

Alex Anderson

516.544.2728

The Anderson aanderson@andersonagenc yrvc.com Agency 530 Merrick Rd., Rockville

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MAY 4 - 10, 2023

2 0 FIN A LIST 21 & 2022

Across from Pantry Diner

$1.00

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Celebrating

HERALD

Centre

ROOTED IN STRENGTH

Rachel Ferrick

Dan Offner/Herald

Two heads are better than one

Gov. Hochul’s housing compact will not be part of the budget By dAnIeL OFFneR doffner@liherald.com

It appears that Gov. Kathy Hochul’s New York Housing Compact has been removed from the tentative state budget, after backlash from state lawmakers over the housing policy, which would mandate that downstate municipalities increase housing by 3 percent every three years. P r e s e n t e d i n J a n u a r y, Hochul’s program looked to address the housing crisis by developing 800,000 new apart-

ment units by 2027. The plan would require municipalities, such as Rockville Centre, with Metropolitan Transportation Authority rail stations to rezone to allow for higher-density residential development. If approved, the plan would allow the state to override municipal zoning ordinances, height requirements and environmental reviews using a fasttrack approval process to allow for a greater concentration of housing within a half-mile of Long Island Rail Road stations.

Two candidates seek a spot on library board By dAnIeL OFFneR

Rockville Centre village officials congratulate South Side High School co-valedictorians Samantha Stein and Cameron Coletti, center, for their scholastic achievements and wish them well with their future endeavors in higher learning.

For Rockville Centre, this would have meant the construction of 50 housing units per acre in the target area — equating to 504 new units every three years. “It’s outrageous,” Mayor Francis Murray said. “This is about our island, our environment, our traffic and our communities . . . and every elected official from Long Island was up in arms about it.” Murray, who is president of the New York Council of Mayors, said he attended several meetContinued on page 7

Michael Ludwig

doffner@liherald.com

In addition to the school budget vote and Board of Education election on May 16, local voters will decided on a spending plan for the Rockville Centre Public Library of almost $4 million. The 2023-24 budget is anticipated to increase taxes $11 a year for the average homeowner, or 92 cents a month. Voters will also elect a new library board member to a threeyear term, succeeding Rebecca Nothel. The candidates include former board President Michael Ludwig and challenger Rachel Ferrick. Below, we present the candidates in their own words.

Rachel Ferrick

Our library has always been a

destination for my kids and family. When they were younger, it was a place to meet other moms and families, and to this day it’s a wonderful way to fill afternoons with curiosity and creativity. My 10-year-old daughter has made a standing request that Thursday afternoons are for the library. The library should be a destination for children and teens, a safe place for little ones to play, for teens to meet up with friends to get their homework done, and a place to join in community activities. We need our young people to be drawn to this space, while at the same time honoring our core of patrons who rely on the facility’s more traditional services. I love that we’ve been able to Continued on page 23


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