Wantagh-Seaford Homeowners Association meeting addresses community issues

Neighbors in Wantagh and Seaford voiced concerns about several quality-of-life issues impacting their neighborhood at an April 18 public meeting.

Community members packed the Wantagh American Legion hall for the meeting, which was hosted by the Wantagh-Seaford Homeowners Association to address those concerns and to discuss the Neighborhood Watch program. The attendees included County Legislator Michael Giangregorio; Hempstead Town Councilman Christopher Carini; members of the Wantagh-Seaford Quality-of-Life Task Force, Building Department and Department of Public Works; and representatives of the Nassau County Police Department.

Neighbors complained mostly about excessive noise, commercial vehicles and area vape shops, as well as the presence of homeless people.

One complaint focused on a resident of Roanoke Street, in Seaford, who has been disruptive, using inappropriate language, making loud noises at night by working on his van and spilling oil in the roadway. Several attendees said the resident had been seen speeding through the neighborhood with children and schools nearby.

Roanoke Street residents said they had been in contact with police after expressing their concerns many times to the neighbor. The Wantagh-Seaford task force was assigned to investigate, and to patrol the area for a week between 1 and 2 a.m., when most of the noise had been reported. Carini assured the attendees that the issue would not be taken lightly, and expressed hope for a speedy resolution.

Others said they worried that smoke shops in the area that advertise tobacco and vape products might be selling marijuana illegally.

“They’re open late, well past midnight,” one woman said. “Why would a tobacco store need to be open that late? I’ve also seen bongs in the window right under a sign that says ‘for tobacco use,’ which is obviously not true.”

The NCPD and the Building Department said that officers and employees would be tasked with keeping an eye on the stores during the late-night hours.

The community also depends on a Neighborhood Watch program, which has been described as “the eyes and ears” of the local police and operates in collaboration with the Seaford Chamber of Commerce. A block captain is assigned for every 10 houses in a neighborhood, and residents report any suspicious activity, according to the homeowners association.

In addition, Councilman Carini, the Quality-of-Life Task Force has been working on removing graffiti from public property, and taking down illegal stickers and signs that are slapped on lampposts or road signs. In the past year alone, the task force has removed more than seven dumpsters’ full of the signage as well as garbage that has piled up on local streets.

Members of the homeowners association said they strive to preserve the quality of life in Wantagh and Seaford, and invite all residents to get involved.

“Quality of life is super important now, and I wanted to get involved, be hands-on,” Chris Schneider, a co-president of the organization, said. “As a person who grew up in Wantagh, I know how important this is to our community.”

Schneider said he has been a part of the Neighborhood Watch and the association for 20 years.

“We help the businesses, yes, but also the businesses’ people,” Ella Stevens, the association president and another Neighborhood Watch member, said. “We want to be good neighbors, and have good neighbors by example. We share a common goal with our community.”

At the end of the meeting, Carini and Giangregorio opened the floor to questions. Some attendees, noting the homeless problem, suggested that a few properties in Wantagh and Seaford that are underdeveloped, or not developed at all, could potentially be used for housing.

The Building Department representatives said they would work toward finding a way to utilize the land.