By:Doreen Lobelle
Mayor Joseph Carrigan opened the discussion after the village board passed its final resolution. "Let me just say that every one of the trustees wishes that a more suitable business would have been found by the landlord to put in that location," he said, adding that the "check-cashing business is licensed and regulated by the New York State Banking Department, and the law makes it extremely difficult for a municipality to deny a legitimate business use simply based on discretionary taste or preference."
Carrigan mentioned that the Board of Zoning Appeals, which is separate and distinct from the village board and comprises mostly residents, held a hearing regarding the check-cashing shop, with letters sent to those within 200 feet of the store, including St. Raymond Church and the apartment building at 280-290 Atlantic Ave. Carrigan also listed the locations of other check-cashing businesses operated by the same principals opening the East Rockaway store, including Baldwin, East Meadow and Levittown, and said that no problems have been reported in those locations.
In fact, the residents of several of those locations had initially protested their openings as well. Yet the businesses opened and remain in operation today, and there have been no reports that they have caused any problems in those communities. "We have never had a negative impact on any of the communities or neighborhoods where we operate," said Charles Guttilla, who, along with Paul Gunder, is a principal in the business.
Trustee Edward Sieban declined to support either the mayorÕs statement or those of two other trustees, Bruno Romano and Ed Cook, saying they did not adequately portray the disappointment and outrage of the residents. "We do not want the city in East Rockaway," he said, referring to the urbanized character of a check-cashing shop. "I strongly suggest that the residents of the village let this landlord and tenant, as well as all landlords in our village, know that we have a vision for East Rockaway, and this type of business does not fit the vision!"
The floor was open after the trustees finished making their statements. Residents were given three minutes to speak. The first, Linda Caffrey, submitted a petition of 769 signatures from East Rockaway residents opposed to the opening of the shop. "This store will diminish the quality of life in East Rockaway as we know it," she said. "It is unsafe and unnecessary."
She also mentioned that the village is already served by four full-service banks, and that there are ATM machines and Western Union services throughout the town. She pointed out that traffic and crime could increase if such a facility were present.
Guy Donza, owner of the Donza Funeral Home on Atlantic Avenue, spoke on behalf of the Rev. William Jablonski of Saint Raymond Church, whose elementary school is directly across from the proposed store. On behalf of the priest and himself, Donza expressed concern over the notices that gave the impression that the new establishment would be a bank, and not a check-cashing shop.
Throughout the evening, residents echoed Donza's complaint, claiming that they were not sufficiently notified of the initial zoning board hearing, that proper notices were never sent out, and that when information was received, it was misleading.
Sister Ruthanne Gypalo, principal of St. Raymond School, said she did receive notice of a financial institution leasing the building. She said she tried to be more positive about the new shop. "I didnÕt think anything about that, because I thought it was another bank," she said. "I said, well, letÕs not jump the gun. Maybe, just maybe, this could be a good thing, so letÕs try and be positive about it -- until I heard the other day that they put bulletproof glass in the building. I am across the street with 2 1/2-year-olds, and that gives me a scare."
Gypalo pleaded with village officials to do whatever they could to protect the children. "That is what we should be doing," she said.
In a telephone interview with the Herald two days after the village board meeting, Guttilla said that he would never put anyone's child in harm's way. "I couldn't qualify for insurance without having bulletproof glass installed," he said. "There are specific requirements which include the type of safe we have and the alarm system. Banks have bulletproof glass, too."
Another hot topic at the meeting was parking, a concern especially when both the Centre Avenue and St. Raymond schools are open. St. Raymond has students in kindergarten through ninth grade, while Centre Avenue houses kindergarten through sixth grade. The East Rockaway Building Department originally denied a permit for the business, citing insufficient parking, but Guttilla and Gunder were able to prove to the zoning board that there are five parking spaces available for its patrons in the rear parking lot.
Michael Mercurio disagreed. He and his wife were leaseholders of the space across from St. Raymond Church, owning and operating a photography studio, Lasting Impressions, which has since moved further down Atlantic Avenue. Mercurio said the lease specifically stated that those stores did not have any right to use the parking lot, and he questioned whether the check-cashing shop really would have parking spaces available.
Guttilla said there is more than ample parking at the location. "We have a lease which states that we are allowed to use the parking lot in the back, and there is 15-minute parking in the street," he said. "That actually suits my business, since most transactions take five minutes or less."
When asked why he chose the location in East Rockaway, Guttilla said, "We track our customers through a computer, and 750 people who live in East Rockaway and the immediate vicinity come to either Baldwin, Merrick or Valley Stream to cash their checks. People don't leave their neighborhoods to cash their checks unless there is no available service."
A resident who is vice president of marketing and technology at JP Morgan Chase said that even though East Rockaway is made up of affluent people, "there are people here who donÕt have checking accounts at banks and have trouble cashing checks." He said that allowing a check-cashing company to operate would be taking advantage of those people, because of the exorbitant fees.
In fact, the fees are regulated by the New York State Banking Department. "It's state-controlled," said Guttilla. "The customer pays 1.5 percent of the face amount of the check, with a minimum fee of one dollar."
Guttilla has vowed to be a good neighbor, having weathered opposition to the openings of his other locations. He has sponsored Little League teams and donated to local organizations, and has donated his time and services to Island Harvest for the past several years.
"I don't hide behind anything, and we have a great track record," he said. "We do everything a bank does except take deposits and make loans. I am spending in excess of $125,000 on the store in East Rockaway, so I think I'm putting my money where my mouth is."
Guttilla has gone as far as to contact Councilman Anthony Santino (R-East Rockaway), who announced his strong opposition to the store in last week's Herald. "Anthony Santino refused my calls," said Guttilla. "I'm surprised that an elected official wouldn't take my call."
Francis Lenahan, president of the Village Pride Party, ended the meeting on a strong, proactive note. "WeÕve got to draw a line in the sand É the voice of the people, if anything, is that they want to see something done, if we have to fight this tooth and nail, then we fight tooth and nail," he said. His last words seemed to sum up the tone of the meeting, which featured a full two hours of comments from residents. "LetÕs do what we got to do, whatever it takes, whatever it costs, period, the end!"
