East Rockaway residents speak out against rehab expansion, question purchase of residential property

  Dozens of residents attended Monday night’s East Rockaway village board meeting to voice their concerns over the possible expansion of Lynbrook Restorative Therapy and Nursing (formerly the East Rockaway Progressive Care Nursing Home) and to beseech them to have the establishment “cease and desist” from using the adjoining newly-purchased home at 11 Roosevelt Avenue for what the residents believe is a commercial use in a residential area.

The residents also asked that Lynbrook Restorative not be granted their application to expand their establishment, and fear that the home they bought would be torn down — ultimately, they said, affecting their home values.

Most of the residents in attendance live on the three blocks surrounding Lynbrook Restorative — Roosevelt, McKinley and Tredwell avenues. Their homes, as well as the rehab facility, lie within the village of East Rockaway but have Lynbrook postal addresses and are within the Lynbrook school district.

“The impacts have been many,” said Ross Aiosa, who lives two doors down from the establishment on Roosevelt Avenue. He was referring to the changes that have come about since the new owners took over from the East Rockaway Progressive Care facility a few years ago. “ … horrendous parking conditions on our streets and in front of our homes, increased traffic flow … and ultimately – the safety of all who live here, walk on our sidewalks or drive on our streets … these concerns are compounded on Sundays when St. Raymond parishioners arrive for their church services.”