By VICTORIA A. CARUSO
Mr. Kralovich, a Dobson Avenue resident for 16 years, quickly realized that folks living in Lindenmere shared many concerns about their community, but had no one local to go to with their problems. "When I went around the neighborhood, everyone had questions, but no one knew where to go," said Mr. Kralovich. "People asked me whom they could go to about such things as the condition of the streets, trees and stop signs. Also, there were many things happening around town that so many people weren't aware of."
Mr. Kralovich thus decided to reactivate the Old Lindenmere Civic Association. Established in 1969 to improve quality of life for residents living in one of Merrick's oldest sections, the association remained dormant from the mid-1980s until recently. Under the leadership of Mr. Kralovich, however, more than 50 residents gathered at the Merrick Library Wing on Wednesday, Nov. 1 for the Old Lindenmere Civic Association's first meeting in nearly 15 years.
Lindenmere, the westernmost part of Merrick, comprises more than 900 homes from the Meadowbrook Parkway to Merrick Avenue between Merrick Road and Sunrise Highway. Most of the area's stucco-style Tudors, brick colonials and wooden cottages were constructed during the early 1900s, with some spot building in the mid 1920s and late 1940s.
Duringthe past 10 years, a handful of homes have been constructed in Lindenmere on the community's remaining empty plots, while others have been redesigned and expanded from the ground up. During the1970s, a Lindenmere home cost between $13,000 and $20,000. Today, these same houses are priced between $250,000 and $800,000. Lindenmere homes appreciated considerably during the 1980s and have remained in high demand because of their convenient location to the railroad, churches, temples, business district and library.
Life in Lindenmere
Lindenmere lies between two major thoroughfares -- the Sunrise and Merrick Road -- meaning that it is sandwiched between two commercial districts that have sprung up over the years along these roads.
"Whenever commercial and residential properties are close to one another, there can be problems," said Marian Fraker-Gutin, one of the founding members of the association and owner of Mary Elmore Realty on Merrick Avenue. "The commercial owners need to respect the residents, and the residents need to work with the commercial property owners. Everyone wants to be close, but not too close."
She added that, during the 1970s and 1980s, the association's 100 members often dealt with property issues along Sunrise Highway. "There was a nightclub called the Zodiac..." said Ms. Fraker-Gutin. "[Homeowners] were concerned about commercial property infringing on residential area with noise, garbage and late-night activity."
According to Ms. Fraker-Gutin, there were also problems in the Girl Scout Woods, a forest on the Sunrise once owned by the New York City Water Company. "Kids used to hang out in the woods at night and start fires," Ms. Fraker-Gutin said.
By the mid 1980s, however, Ms. Fraker-Gutin said that the Zodiac had closed, and the woods were converted into a co-op development. As a result, the civic association's involvement began to decline and, by 1985, the group had become inactive.
"Civic associations form when residents have mutual problems and common interests," she said. "When problems don't exist, there is nothing to discuss."
Lindenmere today
More than a decade after the association held its last meeting, Lindenmere residents once again need a voice to represent their community. Lindenmere residents at the Nov. 1 meeting said they were unhappy because of what they called the inadequate parking in Merrick, as well as the lack of police enforcement of the four-way stop signs in the area.
For long-time Lindenmere residents, having a civic association again is long overdue. "Over the years, I often wondered why there wasn't a civic association," said Bill Wagner, a 40-year resident of Central Boulevard. "Although I have no specific complaints, things have changed a lot over the years, and by joining, I will be able to keep up to date with what is going on."
County Legislator David Denenberg (D-Merrick), who lives on McCord Avenue, said he is thrilled to see that community involvement is on the rise. "Civic associations have seen a renaissance, whether it be those who have recently formed or those whose membership has increased over the past few years," said Mr. Denenberg. "The Lindenmere Association will not only provide homeowners with the opportunity to get to know one another, but to know what the concerns of other residents are. Together, we can make a difference on a number of issues."
Mr. Kralovich said, "The goal of the association is to get people involved and informed. We need to be aware of what is going on in our community and on our blocks. Staying connected is the only way to act, rather than react, if there is a problem."
For more information, call Joseph Kralovich, Old Lindenmere president, at (516) 546-5632.
