Response to mayor’s flood maps letter

To the Editor:

Since we are “setting the record straight” with regard to the flood maps put into effect in Valley Stream in 2009, I thought I would add a few items that were left out (“Setting the record straight on flood maps,” April 26-May 2). One of the first things that comes to mind is that Mayor Ed Fare and Trustee John Tufarelli were both trustees at the time the maps were accepted by the village and 2,500 homeowners were put into the high-risk flood zone, the majority of those homeowners live in Gibson.  The “grandfather” clause that Mr. Fare refers to in his letter only concerns the premiums which FEMA did lie about, but then they have lied about everything concerning these maps so far. No study was ever done of Nassau County, and the Suffolk County map was laid over Nassau County and then FEMA decided who was to be put in the high risk flood zone. This makes absolutely no sense at all and makes these flood maps completely inaccurate.  
 
Didn’t the village officials charged with this decision realize that being put in the high-risk flood zone would destroy our property values? It seems to me that the people we elect to public office should make it a top priority to know all the ramifications of any decision that affects even one taxpayer, much less 2,500. Due diligence is what should have been done when FEMA came calling, but our village engineer at the time told me he did not even check the elevations or validity of these maps. Then, to compound matters, the residents involved were not informed by the village of impending disaster. A note in our tax bill sent in June 2008 would have helped. Instead they posted a notice in the legal section of the Herald, which of course no one saw. There was a meeting held at Central High School in February 2009, but no one attended because no one knew about it. It was not publicized very rigorously.  

The petition online is a start, but a lot of work has to be done before we are free of this millstone that is around the neck of 2,500 Valley Stream homeowners. One suggestion I have is for our mayor to join the National Conference of Mayors and get in touch with other mayors who are trying to get out from under these fraudulent maps, especially those on the south shore of Long Island. Calls to our federal officials every day are also something that should be done by the village until we get results. Our village legal council should be looking at ways to sue FEMA because of the misrepresentation made about these maps.  They could work with the county and the state attorney to see what options are available.

If these maps are not rescinded, they will be the end of Valley Stream as we know it. Trustee Virginia Clavin-Higgens had it right when she said, at the Valley Stream Chamber meeting, that if homeowners are forced to continue to pay these onerous premiums there will be a lot less money to be spent in village businesses. Not to mention that they will not be able to sell their homes under these conditions. This never should have happened, and now these homeowners must be removed from the high risk flood zone immediately. Come January we will once again be hit with the four-figure premiums which will be anywhere from $2,300 to $2,800 if not more a year.
 
Carol Crupi
Valley Stream