By Hector Flores
In the evening, Suozzi convened a town-hall meeting at Calhoun High School in Merrick to outline his plans to bolster the economy in Bellmore, Merrick, North Bellmore and North Merrick. The blueprint is one part of a larger plan that Suozzi and his team of economic advisers have developed for Nassau. The plan divides the county into 35 economic-development zones, including one for the Bellmores and Merricks.
Suozzi's overall plan for the county features seven points: promotion of high-technology and high-skill businesses; revitalization of downtowns; construction of affordable housing for a work force and senior citizens; redevelopment of former hazardous-waste sites; preservation of open spaces; promotion of sports, entertainment and tourism; and improvement of public transportation.
Suozzi says the county desperately needs an economic-development plan, as growth of its business base has stagnated for some time.
Once, Nassau was booming. During the 1950s, the county had a population of 400,000. In the '60s it ballooned to 1.2 million. In 1990, however, the number remained at 1.2 million, according to the U.S. Census.
With the population leveling off, so has business. "Nassau county has stopped growing," Suozzi said. "There are no new buildings or commercial developments."
As a result, growth of the county's tax revenues has slowed significantly, but its expenses continue to rise. "We still have to pay for Medicaid, pensions for city and state workers, and basic services," Suozzi said. "In order to keep up with these expenses, we will inevitably have to raise property taxes, but no one wants that. In order to avoid it, we must develop a long-term vision that will bring more revenue into Nassau County."
Suozzi believes the county's future lies in high technology, which has seen unbelievable growth in recent years. Among the industries he would like to see come to Nassau in greater numbers are biotechnology, computer technology and software development. He also hopes to attract high-skill industries such as banking and finance, health care, entertainment production and electronics.
By bringing in such industries, Nassau residents would have more jobs available to them, and the county government would have a bigger tax base, which would enable it to raise the area's quality of life.
Suozzi would like to see downtown business districts continue to be improved, as they have been in Bellmore and Merrick. He would also like to see more affordable housing, particularly for older adults and recent college graduates, which could be added to commercial zones. The housing, he said, could be built on recycled brownfields, which are polluted properties that have been cleaned up, or at abandoned buildings and stores.
During the town-hall meeting, Merokeans voiced concern over parking in downtown Merrick. Julie Marchesella, president of the Merrick Chamber of Commerce, said a recent traffic study showed why Long Island Rail Road riders are attracted to Merrick's train station. "Merrick has reliable express-train service, which attracts riders from Massapequa and East Meadow," she said. "These riders park in our parking lots, leaving many residents without a place to park. We need an alternative parking area or a way to discourage this practice."
Suozzi suggested that three-level parking lots be built in Merrick to accommodate riders. The proposal, however, met stiff opposition. Barry Fox, who has been president of the Merrick Park Home Owners Association for more than 20 years, said, "I have yet to meet a homeowner who wants a multi-level parking lot near their home. It's not the responsibility of the community to provide parking for all the people who want to use the Long Island Rail Road."
Fox added, "Turning Merrick, which is a semi-rural area, into a commercial transportation hub is something we don't want." He suggested that alternate parking could be found at church lots, which are empty during the day. He also said that buses could ferry commuters from surrounding areas to the train station.
Rona Weiss, executive director of the Bellmore Chamber of Commerce, said she wasn't sure exactly how bringing high-technology industries to Nassau would benefit the Bellmores locally. "The impression I got," Weiss said, "was that they were bringing high-tech businesses to the hub," the central Nassau business zone that includes the Roosevelt Field Mall.
"It's a wonderful vision," Weiss said of Suozzi's economic-development plan, "but how will they distribute these new taxes fairly throughout Nassau County? I also agree with bringing industry and affordable housing to our downtowns, but our towns just don't have the space in their commercial strips to accommodate extra living and work space."
Renaldo Nunez, president of the North Bellmore Civic Association, said Suozzi's plan didn't offer enough detail about how the county planned to attract new business to the Bellmores. "Suozzi has great ideas for the county, but as for Bellmore, he is very vague," Nunez said. "Also, the rebuilding of our downtown area has already been done. What we need to do is focus on the roads in North Bellmore and rebuild them. Our focus should be on road rehabilitation, senior housing and attracting businesses along Jerusalem Avenue."
A tour through town
Before his town-hall meeting at Calhoun High School, Nassau County Executive Thomas Suozzi toured the Bellmores and Merricks by bus to see what areas need improvement. Among them, he noted the following:
In the Bellmores
¥More police are needed on Bedford Avenue on Saturdays to discourage vandalism.
¥Traffic control is greatly needed along Bellmore Avenue and Bellmore Road to curb speeding.
¥Enforcement of town codes regarding illegal rental apartments is needed.
¥The vacant lot at Newbridge Road and Bellmore Avenue, site of a former gas station, needs to be developed.
In the Merricks
¥Grandpa's Auto, an unused gas station at Meadowbrook and Henry roads, needs to be revitalized.
¥Merrick's downtown needs more parking.
¥A gasoline leak at the Exxon station at Sunrise Highway and Merrick Avenue needs to be cleaned up.
¥Curbing by houses off Babylon Turnpike, from Sunrise Highway to Merrick Road, is needed.
In Photo Above (left to right): Dave Prochilo, vice president of Central Merrick Home Owners Association; Nick Fucci, first vice president of North Bellmore Civic Association; Julie Marchesella, president of the Merrick Chamber of Commerce; Nassau County Legislator (district 19) David Denenberg; and Thomas Suozzi. On the front row (left to right) Christine Szatmarga of North Bellmore Civic Association; Nassau County Legislator (district 13) Norma Gonzalves; Jeff Gold, Nassau County Board of Assessors; Bob Young, of America the Beautiful; Dorothy Medico, co-president of the Chamber of Commerce of the Bellmores; Rona Weiss, executive director of the Chamber of Commerce of the Bellmores; and Barry Fox, president of the Merrick Park Home Owners Association.
