Seaford Herald 05-05-2022

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Trees planted for Arbor Day

What’s new in Seaford schools

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Vol. 70 No. 19

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__________________ SEAFORD _________________

MAY 5 - 11, 2022

No decision yet on Mount Sinai in Wantagh By ToM cARRoZZA tcarrozza@liherald.com

Two key pieces of the puzzle that is the proposed Mount Sinai South Nassau medical facility in Wantagh are seemingly all that remain. And both are before the Town o f H e m p s t e a d B o a rd o f Appeals. Is there enough parking at the former Verizon building at 2020 Wantagh Ave., that the hospital plans to convert into a medical center? And can the building’s façade be repaired? That’s the case lawyers representing the hospital

made to town officials during a three-hour hearing last week that pitted supporters against opponents. And there seemed to be a significant turnout from both sides. Yet the appeals board made it clear that it is not ready to make any decisions right now, and does not have a specific timetable on when it might be ready. The board’s next meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, May 11. The four-story brick building has sat abandoned for more than five years. Mount Sinai has spent almost all that time working to con-

Courtesy Mount Sinai South Nassau

AN ARchITEcT’S RENDERINg of Mount Sinai South Nassau’s proposed 60,000-square-foot facility on Wantagh Avenue, intended to provide “one-stop” medical services. Its fate now rests with the Town of Hempstead Board of Appeals. struct and open a $35 million medical center it says will employ 30 doctors and 50 support staff members. It would offer a wide variety of specialty medical care, from women’s health to oncology to diabetes care. It also would provide ancillary services like lab work and X-rays. Mount Sinai has sought an

off-street parking variance after town officials concluded that the Wantagh Avenue facility would need more than 300 spaces. Mount Sinai, however, argues that its engineers demonstrated a need for fewer than 250. But those who oppose the facility remain skeptical of Mount Sinai’s parking plans,

citing frustrations expressed by Oceanside residents about parking problems near the main hospital there as it has grown while a reported promise of a new parking structure remains unfulfilled. Tom Watson, who owns a c o m m e rc i a l bu i l d i n g o n Wantagh Avenue, said he was Continued on page 5

Four candidates vie for two Seaford school board seats By JEffREY BESSEN jbessen@liherald.com

When Seaford School District residents vote for Board of Education trustee on May 17, they will have four candidates to choose from in an at-large election, in which the two top votegetters win the seats. Incumbent Trustee Kevin Devlin is running for his second three-year term. For the past two years he has served as the board’s vice president. With Bruce Kahn stepping down, another seat opened up, and Lisa Herbert, Heather Umhafer and Ben Vogt joined the race. Devlin, 30, a lifelong Seaford

resident, noted the school district’s response to the coronavirus pandemic as one of the two accomplishments he is most proud of in his term. “We were one of the few districts in the entire state that was able to provide in-person learning for all students when most districts, even on Long Island, could only provide hybrid or online models,” he wrote in an email. Students’ mental health was a priority, Devlin said, and he pointed to a report that State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli released in April highlighting the growing health crisis in schools. The district hired additional psychologists, Devlin said,

Where to vote tuesday, May 17 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Seaford Manor Elementary School Seaford Harbor Elementary School invested in the wellness centers in the high school and middle school and created a partnership with Northwell Health. Saying that he has gained lots of experience in the past three years, Devlin added that he wants to build on the district’s 99

percent high school graduation rate, a bond upgrade from Moody’s Financial Services that bolsters its financial standing, its expansion of academic courses, and its investments in athletics and other extracurricular programs and the new artificialturf field. If re-elected, he said, he aims to expand trade-careerrelated course offerings, and he

has spoken with local labor leaders about creating a Labor Career Fair for Seaford High School students. A 2009 graduate of Seaford High School, Devlin is U.S. Rep. Kathleen Rice’s director of community outreach. He served in the Marine Corps Reserve when he was a student at Molloy ColContinued on page 12


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