Community Corner

Rally Expected at Town Hall Thursday Against Rezoning Proposal

A rally is expected at in Manhasset Thursday against a Town of North Hempstead plan to rezone five acres of residential North Hempstead-owned property adjacent to more than 500 residential homes, condominiums and independent living senior units, according an official from the Harbor View at Port Washington
Homeowners Association.

Rezoning would clear the way for the Town to lease or sell the property as a commercial diesel truck depot (for storage, maintenance and repairs of sanitation, street cleaning, snow removal and other heavy trucks and diesel equipment) to Dejana Industries, one of the region’s largest commercial trucking and heavy equipment firms, according to Robert M. Calica, president of the PWHA.

Hundreds are expected at the rally at Town Hall for the 7:30 p.m. regular meeting of the Town Board, according to Calica.

The Town is “spot zoning” the property on West Shore Road in Port Washington (opposite the Town owned Bar Beach Park) in order to sell or lease the site to Dejana Industries which plans to construct a 52,000 square foot building for diesel truck repair and maintenance and diesel truck storage on the 5 acre site, according to Calica.

“This is a despicable and illegal abuse of Town zoning power, which will clearly be harmful to the welfare of its local residents, just to be able to sell Town owned property for unknown sums to a commercial diesel Truck Depot developer," said Calica in a press release Wednesday.

Calica added the planned diesel truck depot plan was concealed from local residents until a Legal Notice in a local Port Washington newspaper happened to be spotted by a local resident who then alerted the entire community.

At issue is the environmentally sensitive Hempstead Harbor which sits directly opposite the proposed truck depot. 

"This type of commercialization of a residential area, with its vast potential for diesel fuel runoff and fumes, will clearly pose a major environmental hazard to both Hempstead Harbor and to the adjacent residential areas and hundreds of residents," said Calica.

The Town of North Hempstead did not immediately return a request for comment.


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