By Matthew McGevna
that could determine who they vote for when they step into the booth at the Malverne Fire Department. Concerns range from tax burden to youth-oriented initiatives to the recent tragedies at the Long Island Railroad crosswalk. But it was the aesthetic quality of the village that had many voters talking about where they would throw their support. Residents say they worry about the future of Malverne¹s village, visually, financially and socially. According to voters in a general canvas, candidates will be asked to focus on a number of specific items.
Grossmann¹s Farm
Without a doubt the hottest topic du jour for Malverne residents is the plan in store for Grossmann¹s Farm, a single family lot and the only functioning farm left in Nassau County. The farm¹s owners have expressed their interest in selling the property, which has many residents on edge. Rumors have abounded about the status of the property and the potential buyers, but the bottom line appears to be that villagers worry the property might be bought by a commercial franchise such as a Waldbaums, Burger King, or CVS.
Incumbent Mayor Anthony Panzarella has attempted to quash those fears by asserting at February¹s board meeting that Grossmann¹s farm has been assigned a ³Residential A² zoning, which restricts the property to other single family homes. In addition to that, the village currently has a lot restriction of 6,000 square feet. Panzarella told village residents that ³the people from our village will have something to say about what goes in here.²
Still, critics of Panzarella¹s administration say that rumors would not be spreading so rapidly if plans for dealing with the property were already in place. According to Mayoral candidate Patricia McDonald, the issue is important because of what Grossmann¹s farm means to Malverne.
³It can potentially dramatically change the dynamics of the village,² McDonald said. ³It¹s such a landmark; you have families that grew up with the farm. When you give people directions to the village, you use it as a place to direct people from. You say it¹s left of Grossmann¹s Farm, it¹s right of Grossmann¹s Farm. To lose it to some developer would completely alter the character of the village. It¹s something we¹re proud of.²
McDonald added that the owners of Grossmann¹s farm have expressed their desire to keep the rural character of the land and that they have no desire to sell it to someone who would build a franchise and pave a parking lot.
Development
In addition to the fears surrounding Grossmann¹s Farm, residents also expressed their concern with the village¹s future plans for vacant properties. For reasons similar to the status of the farm, villagers worry that vacant property could be vulnerable to development, which they believe would alter the village¹s character. One supporter of Trustee McDonald said he believed the village of Malverne will be going through ³several potential changes in the future,² adding that he trusted McDonald¹s judgment presumably when those changes occurred. Others were more curious about what McDonald knows.
³I¹m curious about Patti¹s campaign flyer, where she says that Malverne is at a crossroads,² said one resident. ³What specifically are those crossroads? What¹s coming down the pike that we don¹t know about?²
³I¹ll vote for whichever candidate worries about maintaining the integrity and character of the village. I want a place where my children can come back and stay,² said another resident.
The issue may come down to whether or not a new administration would alter or circumvent the current 6,000 square foot restrictions and grant property owners variances to subdivide their property for private sale. Panzarella says that residents have been getting denied these variances and that the village has won the court battles that have been waged over this issue. Supporters of McDonald say they have faith she will continue in that trend.
Taxes
In the current fiscal year, Malverne residents pay $53.50 per $100 of assessed property value, a 4.8% tax increase from the previous year. However officials say that increase was due largely because of two state mandated expenses that could not be avoided; employee health insurance and the New York State retirement system. But Malverne residents worry that the tax burden will eventually drive long-time residents out of the community and prevent future generations of Malverne villagers from settling down. Taxes are an especially troublesome issue for residents who live on fixed incomes. According to the 2000 census, more than 15% of the Malverne population is 65 years of age and older, with the median age lingering just over 40.
Tax burdens in most villages across the state can often be somewhat relieved as a result of the state¹s Aid and Incentives to Municipalities Program (AIM). However, in the proposed state budget, Malverne will only stand to benefit from a 3% inflationary increase, a bump of a little over $3,000 from the current AIM funding. That has caused some villagers to wonder, if Panzarella fails to procure more funding from the state, how will village officials be able to relieve the tax burden.
Verizon¹s Franchise Agreement
Several months ago, according to Mayor Panzarella, Verizon rolled into the village and began installing large green electrical cabinets in order to begin operating its FIOS cable services to Malverne residents. Currently, Verizon offers FIOS to residents in neighboring Lynbrook and Valley Stream. The mayor immediately issued a stop-work order on Verizon, claiming that the company never arranged a franchise agreement, and that the green cabinets were a blight on the aesthetic look of the village.
According to both parties, Verizon agreed to sit down and work out a franchise agreement, similar to the agreement signed between Malverne and Cablevision for similar services. However, negotiations between Verizon and village officials broke down, and Verizon walked away from the negotiating table. The two parties have differing views on how and why talks dissolved, but Verizon has only recently been convinced to return to the table to work out a franchise agreement. As for the metal cabinets, Verizon moved some and raised others above eye level at key places in the village.
³I want competition in my village,² Panzarella said of his desire to see Verizon operating in Malverne. ³I think it only works to the advantage of the residents.² Critics, however, point to the length of time it took Panzarella to resume negotiations.
³As Mayor, I would not have let two years drag on in negotiation of a contract,² said Trustee McDonald. ³It is unfortunate that negotiations with Verizon were halted. In fact, I voted with the Board of Trustees when we authorized Mike Bailey to contact the senior representatives of Verizon and help get Malverne back on the priority list of municipalities for negotiations.²
Verizon is expected to return to negotiations early this month. As an election issue, the question may come down to who is better to see Malverne through a beneficial franchise agreement, and who is responsible for the hold-up in the first place.
In addition to the major issues, other residents would like to see more done to protect pedestrians crossing the LIRR tracks that cut through the heart of the village, citing the three lives that have been lost over the past two years. Others would like to see the candidates commit to a strong program for the youth of Malverne village. Most stated that their chief concern was that the village continues to maintain its character as a quaint, family-oriented, tight-knit community that participates in village affairs such as the Lighting of Malverne ceremony, volunteer services like the Fire Department, and the Groundhog¹s Day celebration with Malverne Mel.
Race to watch out for
The most intense race is clearly the race for village mayor, where both candidates have a solid base of supporters and a strong platform to run on. Village residents seem to be split down the middle about which candidate they plan to vote for. Supporters of Panzarella say he has public savvy and over 30 years experience in public service. Those who support McDonald like the idea that she has lived in Malverne most of her life, filled the Trustee position of her father when he passed away, and is very involved with the youth.
Perhaps as a testament to how closely related the villagers are, many residents, while stating who they planned to support for Mayor, were hesitant to say anything negative about the candidates.
³I think Panzarella¹s doing a great job,² said one resident who plans to help re-elect the Mayor. ³He¹s very active, he¹s very approachable, but I think Patti McDonald does a great job as well. I just think she should stay a Trustee.²
³I think she¹s [Patricia McDonald] been here for so many years, she¹s gonna do right by the village,² said a McDonald supporter. ³The mayor projects himself on TV, but it¹s really Patti and the trustees that make the decisions and run the village.²
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