Lawrence village commissions Harborview traffic study

The Village of Lawrence will spend up to $10,000 for a study to produce recommendations to route the vehicular traffic that is generated when congregants attend services at the Bais Medrash Harborview Shul on Harborview South.

At a meeting on July 27, the village’s Board of Appeals unanimously voted to extend the one-year trial period for three months so the traffic study can be conducted. Last year the BOA, enacted the trial period to permit the Orthodox synagogue to operate seven days a week instead of just for Shabbos and other holiday services. The shul is located in a residential neighborhood surrounded by private homes.

Several residents who opposed the expanded use filed a legal action last August. The village board’s action was upheld in Nassau County Supreme Court. A plan to construct a 23-stall parking lot was denied by the BOA, last July.

According to village officials, a traffic study addressing the number of vehicles anticipated by the extended hours was submitted by the synagogue’s representatives. Village officials said that the question is not about the number of cars, but the best way to route them. A committee couldn’t agree on some of the routing proposals, so the study is being commissioned to yield a more expert opinion. Manhattan-based Sam Schwartz Engineering will conduct the study.