It’s just weeks from the final days of summer and Labor Day will be upon us before we know it. For most, it will signal the end of summer. The family of hawks living in my backyard all summer have gone. Along with their departure so, have my dreams.
What were those dreams? That I, with my neighbors would be able to wrestle the Developer to the ground along with the City Zoning, Planning and Council Members and convince them that Rooney Court is worth saving. That my neighbors and I, who have been paying taxes do matter. And that as a united body, reason would fill the minds of these men and women, the Developer and City Council members. That surely profit in ones pockets would not be the defining factor. Once they were able to put the faces and names together, names associated with deeds, and as deed holders we are entitled to the preservation, tranquility and yes, assurance that the investments we all made in our properties would be givenenormous consideration.
How was it that some six-plus surrounding parcels were purchased during the period of 2004-2008 by the Developer without anyone knowing it? What did he know? Did he have the ultimate vision that the City of Glen Cove would createan overlay zone, with incentives and bonuses to make a difficult to develop, steep hill area into a gold mine?
Three years ago two men were roaming my property, surveying the parcel behind my house and when asked the nature of their visit they became uncomfortable and left in a hurry. My husband and neighbor visited the City’s building department the following business day to inquire. The city building department’s personnel assured them that nothing was planned.
But at that time, the parcel of the Boys and Girls Club had been subdivided. Section 21, block 244, Lot 63 has been divided into two lots, 66 and 67. Lot 66 has been sold to the Developer and is the initial ground breaking parcel. What was once parcel 63 zoned for social/recreational (property class code 534.14) has become lot 67 for the Glen Cove Boys and Girls Club, and lot 66 was changed to residential zoning (property class 311.11) to accommodate the Developer, all with the stroke of a pen.
Our close knit cul-de-sac will go through a gross transformation soon and less than 200 feet from our homes we will be looking at a five story structure towering over us. Privacy will be gone, the trees and hawks along with the little piece of heaven will all cease to exist. The tree landscape that buffers all of our properties will be gone forever!
So, who is responsible? Everyone! This includes the City Council members, Zoning and Planning Board members as well as, the Developer. And how did I find out? I was at Razzano’s when I overheard two contractors speaking about a ground breaking large project. Some days later, my neighbor notified me of a council meeting that was going to address the pending project. Pending? How can one call it P-e-n-d-i-n- g? When it has been in the works behind the scenes for many years and I feel like my neighbors and I knew nothing. We trusted our officials in City Hall when we were told nothing has been approved as of yet. If it has not been approved, why did this gentleman invest millions already by purchasing multiple parcels along Glen Cove Avenue? What is he going to do with them? He is going to build his 100 million dollar project, part of the Master Plan. The Master Plan’s goals and objectives: “Protect and enhance Glen Cove’s established residential neighborhoods, while providing a variety of housing options to meet the needs of current and future residents. Protect the scale, density and character of Glen Cove’s stable and well-maintained neighborhoods. Promote liveable, economically sustainable and environmentally responsible growth.”
And Rooney Court, Rooney Court is just collateral damage.
Where was the Glen Cove Planning Board then? Where have they been during the number of "one hand washes the other" land & city development deals. Where were they when all those city projects siphoned off lots of money for dubious contractors, architects and city planners. As I recall, some of these Glen Cove crooks were arrested a while back and did jail time for their crimes. Unfortunately, they got away with a bundle of taxpayers money and facilitated the pollution we live with now.
Let's talk about the clap trap that the Brewster Street apartments have become, or the charming Avalon Apartments that have the aesthetics of a fully equipped prison lock up. Oh yes, lest we forget, Glen Cove's last ferry created by Tom Suozzi's team ... I guess it did what it was supposed to do: promote Tom Suozzi's election to Nassau County Supervisor. To bad it was a flop as a viable way to commute to the city and the casinos and filled our homes with toxic exhaust as the ferry idled in the harbor.
I have a life long relationship with the area and my concerns run deep. I have also have a lifetime of witnessing this kind of sloppy self serving government and have been the victim, as we all are, of their greed and apathy for our health and safety, no less the tremendous impact on the ground water, wildlife and indigenous flora. Toxic chemicals were dumped for many years in our beautiful harbor and Glen Cove government looked in the other direction and collected fines .. even as kids we knew it. Back in the 50s-70s, the people in this area were not aware of the future implications of such dumping. I know they knew it was wrong, but I think many thought all would be washed away with the rain and tides. The concept of permanent damage to our oceans, land and air was relatively new to the public, so it took a long time to become a part of public awareness. Thankfully the local environmentalists formed groups and a strong contingency that fought against all odds to preserve and enhance our damaged landscape. And the fight is still on. As far as I am concerned, we are all guests here, and should do what good guests do ... clean up after ourselves, and leave the places we are honored to live and work as pristine as it they were we first arrived.