New Hyde Park "Save Our Village" Association: Our voice has been heard...

Tuesday, January 1, 2008

Our voice has been heard...

On November 30th, Save Our Village posted an alert to New Hyde Park residents and neighboring communities about Brookhaven Lab and its plan to transport radioactive soil along the LIRR mainline corridor. Additionally, it has always been SOV's assertion that one of the major goals of the LIRR Mainline Corridor Improvement Project, coupled with the LI Truck-Rail Intermodal Facility Project, is to enable significantly more freight railwa

y traffic to pass through the mainline corridor. This increase in freight traffic is a potential threat to the quality of life of all those citizens who reside in mainline communities such as Bellerose Village, Floral Park, New Hyde Park, Garden City, Carle Place, Mineola, Westbury and Hicksville.

We wish to positively acknowledge the effort of Assemblyman Tom Alfano (21st Assembly District) who has seemingly heard our voice and posted a statement in the Dec. 28th edition of the Floral Park Dispatch. Please refer to the link below to read Assemblyman Alfano's entire statement.
http://www.antonnews.com/floralparkdispatch/2007/12/28/news/alfano.html

In a conversation with Mr. Scott Cushing (Assemblyman Alfano's Chief-of-Staff) on January 4th, Save Our Village learned that "Assemblyman Alfano is currently drafting legislation which will demand that companies who transport hazardous materials along the rails must inform local municipalities so that they can take the necessary and proper steps to transport these materials in a safe and secure manner. We want to make certain that municipalities - both in incorporated and unicorporated areas, take the necessary precautions to ensure the safety of all communities." Save Our Village applauds Assemblyman Alfano's proactive response to this issue and we look forward to his updates regarding his progress with this legislation.

.:Who are the supporters of this association?:.

We are a group of concerned citizens from New Hyde Park who are committed to “saving our village” from the MTA’s and NYS Dept. of Transportation's current “LIRR Main Line Corridor Improvement Project” and its significant environmental, social, and economic effects on our village’s quality of life.

.:What issues are we addressing?:.

Two simultaneous tasks are proposed by this project proposal which will significantly impact our area by modifying the footprint of the Village of New Hyde Park.

- The Grade Crossing Separation Project eliminates 3 LIRR grade crossings in New Hyde Park. Covert Avenue and New Hyde Park Road will be re-graded to allow commuter and commercial traffic to pass under the existing railroad lines. The South 12th Street LIRR grade crossing will be permanently altered according to one of three proposed plans.

- The Third Rail Track Project calls for a third railroad line into the Village of New Hyde Park for the purposes of increasing railroad traffic through our village.

.:How do these issues affect our community?:.

- The condemnation and elimination of at least 27 residential homes and businesses has been proposed in the Village of New Hyde Park.

- In addition to forcing several homeowners and taxpayers out of our village, all New Hyde Park taxpayers will be additionally challenged with the serious burden of increased school and property taxes brought about by the resulting loss of tax revenue.

- The condemnation and elimination of at least 27 residential homes and businesses has been proposed in the Village of New Hyde Park. - In addition to forcing several homeowners and taxpayers out of our village, all New Hyde Park taxpayers will be additionally challenged with the serious burden of increased school and property taxes brought about by the resulting loss of tax revenue. - Permanent and undesirable effects can be triggered by these proposals: existing traffic routes will be modified which require the redirection of commuter and commercial traffic through our residential neighborhoods, cement retaining walls along roadways will change our suburban appearance and obstruct residents’ access to roadways, mandatory speed limits will be altered, another railroad line will be constructed closer to residential properties, and daily railway traffic will dramatically increase. These changes can cause significant noise pollution, air pollution and vibration, as well. As a result, the health and safety of those who live in our community will be seriously and permanently impacted.

.:What is the mission of this association?:.

We seek to support all NHP homeowners and taxpayers who are directly impacted by railroad expansion projects in our village. We strive to be a strong voice that clearly expresses their interests and represents their needs.

We seek to network with other towns and villages along the mainline corridor and to stand in solidarity with them on the issues related to railroad expansion. Additionally, we seek to encourage ongoing collaborative relationships with all communities in an effort to preserve our quality of life as Long Islanders.

We seek to work with all elected representatives and experts in the fields of environmental science, law, engineering, architecture and others as we explore and recommend viable alternative solutions to railroad expansion.

We seek to protect the future stability of our village by ensuring that all projects planned for our village, now and in the future, preserve our suburban quality of life.

.:What can you do?:.

This is a critical time for our community. Your support is urgently needed! If you are interested in learning more about the cause or for more information, please:

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