By Anthony Rifilato
To the chagrin of residents, Legislator Joe Scannell (D-Baldwin) earlier this year proposed returning the carousel to Silver Lake Park, one of three county properties in the area that he was considering in the hope of bringing the ride back to Baldwin. Residents criticized the plan, saying it would not only reduce the park's open space, but also wreak havoc on their quality of life with noise and traffic in a residential neighborhood.
"I don't want to ruin people's lives - this is supposed to be a good thing," Scannell said at a Sept. 27 meeting at the Baldwin Public Library, where he updated more than 100 residents on various projects he was working on. He said the county is still eyeing Lofts and Milburn Ponds, as well as property next to the Baldwin Historical Society on Grand Avenue, a vacant, county-owned lot. That location, he said, would be ideal, since it is close to the Town of Hempstead's urban renewal project on Grand Avenue, which is expected to be completed in roughly two years and which town officials said will comprise quality shops and businesses.
"Now, we're not focused on Silver Lake, but we are looking at Grand," Scannell said. "Ultimately, we need the shot in the arm on Grand Avenue."
This month, the town said it planned to issue two requests for proposals for the project, one of which included the carousel. While the town says it is committed to including the ride in the downtown project, officials said there is a possibility that the carousel would not be included because it could take up too much retail space. Scannell is looking at alternate locations with those concerns in mind, and is allocating $430,000 in community development funds for the ride's restoration.
He also said that Nassau County Executive Tom Suozzi has pledged up to $1 million for a building to house the carousel, and that the restoration process is expected to take 18 months following a bidding process, as the county reaches out to developers with extensive restoration experience. A campaign by area students called Pennies for Ponies has also raised money for the restoration, allocating $20,000.
Residents question project
While Scannell is committed to returning the carousel to Baldwin, residents who attended the meeting had more questions about the town's redevelopment plan for the area, as well as other neglected locations. "Honestly, are they doing something across the street or not?" one woman asked.
"Absolutely," Scannell said, adding that he is confident that town officials such as Councilman Anthony Santino and Supervisor Kate Murray would follow through with the project, which is still in its early stages.
Scannell said that Baldwin doesn't need another Walgreens or CVS, and that town officials are intent on attracting quality chain stores that would give Baldwin an economic boost. "I'm confident that they'll pull through with something we can be proud of," he said.
Some residents took issue with the town's planned use of eminent domain for the project, which would mean a substantial relocation of tenants and some businesses in the area, mostly those on Grand Avenue. "I'm very upset by the Town of Hempstead using eminent domain for private use," another woman said, explaining that she was concerned about the relocation of mostly Hispanic tenants who live above the stores on Grand Avenue.
Scannell said that he understood her concern and the sensitivity surrounding the use of eminent domain, but added that he believed that the rundown area has been neglected by landlords for too long, and that attempts to reach out to them in the past have proved futile. "My feeling is that [eminent domain] should be used when the situation is so bad, there's no other choice," Scannell said. "It's a mess. We want people to see Grand Avenue and look at it positively. In order for businesses to come to town, we can't have that across the street."
He said that, ultimately, the downtown project is going forward. "It's happening, without a doubt," Scannell said.
The same woman said that most of the people who live there are African-Americans and Latinos and would be displaced as a result of the project. "They don't have a plan to put other people in housing in Baldwin," she said.
Town officials have maintained that they would assist tenants in relocating and that the new housing would be better. But residents said that there are other business districts in Baldwin struggling economically that need an overhaul. "It seems as if [the town] is trying to cure a problem that seems to be happening in most of Baldwin," the woman said. "What is the rationale? We have other areas that are blighted."
Scannell insisted that the project would have a positive impact in town and attract shoppers - and other businesses - to Baldwin. "If you can clean up that area, put in some stores, that will be a base for the rest of our town," he said. "My hope is that once Grand Avenue begins to look better, people will want to expand there."
Many residents told Scannell that Baldwin needs an economic boost. Of concern was what many considered to be the community's precarious business base, specifically at the Baldwin Shopping Center, where two anchor stores, 99 Cent Dreams and Global Furniture, recently closed.
Six months ago, Scannell's office made calls to the Board of Health in response to complaints from residents, who said that some food products on the shelves at 99 Cent Dreams had old expiration dates. And last year, Global Furniture closed its doors in the aftermath of a fire that damaged the store.
Scannell said that the owner of that shopping center, Rosen Associates, has been unresponsive, appearing to pay little attention to the quality of businesses that it attracts. "The biggest problem there is that his rent is high," Scannell said. "Unfortunately, they are not watching as well as they should. We want something nice, like and Old Navy or an Olive Garden. It's a perfect location, right in the heart of town. We need to stay on the owner."
Some at the meeting inquired about whether a redevelopment project could be undertaken at the Baldwin Shopping Center as well. "Has anybody thought of using eminent domain for that property?" asked one resident.
"Good idea," added another.
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