By:Anne Marie Allocca
The councilman thanked the many commissioners and representatives from the Town of Hempstead for taking time to show their support for the Elmont community. On the dais were John Sandrowicz of the Town of Hempstead Sanitation and Code Enforcement, Marty Carroll of Sanitation District 6, Clem Grieco of the town Parks Department, William Rockensies of the town Engineering Department, Raymond Schwartz of the town Building Department, Joseph Ra, town attorney, Greg Becker, deputy commissioner of the town's Planning and Economic Department, Antonia Carroll, deputy receiver of taxes, Craig Mollo of Senior Enrichment, Charles Milone of Traffic Control, Sgt. Ed Grim of the 5th Precinct and Joe Spano of Highway Operations.
County legislators John Ciotti and Vincent Muscarella, along with Scott Cushing, representing Assemblyman Tom Alfano, also attended. Councilman James Darcy made a late appearance after wrapping up a meeting in Inwood.
During his opening remarks, Ambrosino spoke about the "three W's" of Elmont: "where we were, where we are and where we're going." He spoke of his childhood on Kirkland Avenue, recalling bicycle riding, baseball and the Elmont Bowl-Air. He sadly noted that children could no longer leave bikes on their front lawns, the bowling alley is now a drug store, and not too many play baseball anymore.
Now this community is diverse, with many different cultural, ethnic and religious backgrounds. "Our diversity is not divisive, it is unifying and it strengthens us as we join together and move forward," Ambrosino noted.
Speaking of the accomplishments of the town, Ambrosino talked about the three parks, Hendrickson, Averill Boulevard and Elmont Road, which will each receive many upgrades. Averill Boulevard has a new pool lining and heating system, while Elmont Road will see a new playground and resurfacing of the basketball court. He also announced plans for 30 additional new golden age units for senior citizens, to be built adjacent to the Elmont senior complex, allowing seniors to reside in Elmont affordably.
Ambrosino then admitted he wouldn't shy away from the reality that there are problems in Elmont, too. As residents entered the Carlson school they were asked to fill out forms listing their complaints and whether or not they wanted to voice them to the crowd. Ambrosino then dealt with the complaints during the meeting. Many focused on parking, roads, graffiti, aesthetic issues and, most important, the illegal housing problem.
Two additional code enforcement personnel have been assigned to deal with the complaints of the town of Hempstead. Ambrosino promised significant prosecution for offenders who rent out illegal basement apartments. He said that Ra will drag violators into court, seeking the maximum fine and the possibility of jail time. He also asked for help from state Sen. Dean Skelos and Assemblyman Tom Alfano with legislation preventing real estate brokers from collecting commissions on renting illegal apartments.
Ra assured residents that thanks to Supervisor Kate Murray and Ambrosino, a complaint can now be made anonymously if sent directly to either the supervisor or the councilman. Resident Maria Gregory said that complaining about neighbors could make for a very uncomfortable living situation. She encouraged the code enforcement officials to be proactive instead if reactive regarding illegal housing. Ra assured her that new steps would be taken to combat the housing problem. Thanks to a rebuttal presumption, if a home has two or more meters or two mailboxes or doorways, Ra could ask a judge to give them permission to gain access to the home to determine if the owner is in violation.
Ambrosino was quick to recognize that senior citizens on a fixed income can qualify for an accessory apartment if they meet the criteria. He also did not want to discourage mother-daughter homes, noting that he did not want to make seniors leave the community. Removing the blight of illegal apartments is his focus, not those permissible residences.
Concerned citizen Joann Smith spoke about streets not being repaved since 1966. She mentioned that Belmont Boulevard and Belmont Road were scheduled for repair work, but hoped those would not be the only streets done. Commissioner Rockensies noted that Elmont is a big town, and his department is constantly looking at roads. Those with drainage problems have a higher priority, so the work is done in phases.
John Smith wondered what the street sweepers did between November and April. Highway operations Commissioner Joe Spano explained that street cleaners require water, which would freeze on the roads if the work were done during the winter months.
With this year's Memorial Day Parade scheduled to feature veterans of World War II, Ambrosino urged residents to have a Community Neighborhood Clean Up Day in honor of the veterans.
Chris Stoffel admitted that her landlord was a real estate agent, builder and owner of 30 buildings in Elmont, and that she paid $2,000 in rent. She said that if the illegal basement apartments were dispensed with, her rent would increase and the people in those apartments would have nowhere to go. Ambrosino drew cheers from the audience with his admittedly controversial reply. "I cannot and will not tolerate illegal rentals in Elmont anymore," he said. "Do I feel sorry for the people living in apartments who can't afford it? Absolutely. However, that problem is not going to be solved by the people sitting here. I am not going to burden them anymore. I want families to come to Nassau County. I want families to raise their children. However, a consequence of living in our community is you've got to contribute to our tax base."
As the meeting drew to a close, Ambrosino insisted that the town would be more responsive to complaints and would be more aggressive in solving problems. "You are going to see a difference," he pledged. "My dad is going to call me over the next couple of days. If you see him in the neighborhood, tell him I'm really trying to do a good job."
