By JOSEPH KELLARD
"We will immediately begin demolition of the property [of the motel] once it comes under the Town of Hempstead," Santino said about the business the town board last year deemed a public nuisance and voted to condemn due to continuous criminal activity there.
Santino once again explained that under eminent domain law the town's only options with the motel property are to convert it into either a public park or a parking lot. Since the property is located on the heavily-trafficked Long Beach Road, the town obviously opted for the latter, he indicated.
When resident Jill Rezak told Santino, "There's really nothing around the motel that we would need a parking lot for," the councilman said that residents and business owner in that area have expressed such a need to him. The councilman additionally revealed that there are parties interested in buying and redeveloping the property across the street from the motel, the long-vacant Foodtown supermarket and adjacent stores. According to an unnamed real estate broker, two separate parties are interested in redeveloping the supermarket, and one individual may put in stores in the former Chinese restaurant and a pharmacy.
Rezak and other residents also raised the issue of flooding at the Oceanside train station, particularly at the Royal Avenue parking lot, after the town spent the better part of two years repaving and re-draining the fields as part of its overall revitalization of the station, which includes new sidewalks, curbs and ornamental lamps.
"When it rains, it's a lake, and when it freezes it's an ice skating rink," Rezak said.
Santino acknowledged the problems and said that once the project is finished this spring the town would re-renovate the parking field to improve the drainage. "It's a problem we are well aware of and that we'll soon address," he said.
One resident asked who will eat the bill for having to redo the original defective draining, the town - that is, taxpayers - or the construction company that performed the work? According to the town, the company must pay for the work as part of its contract.
Another ongoing project is the façade work on businesses on north Long Beach Road as part of the town's ongoing downtown beautification project along that stretch. In addition to new curbs, brick sidewalks and ornamental street lamps and benches, the town in recent years has entered into a 50-50 partnership with local business to install new storefronts. Santino said that once the weather warms up, this façade project will continue on both as a restaurant and a grocery store.
One completed project soon to be put to use is the soccer field at Oceanside Park. The town cleared trees and other materials adjacent to the pool there to install a new field for the Oceanside Soccer Club, a project completed last fall.
"It's ready for play, and we will have a grand opening at that field in the very near future," Santino said.
Santino also announced that the next major road project in Oceanside will be refurbishing Weidner Avenue.
"It's at the head of the list for 2006," he said.
