Thursday, October 1, 2026
The Valley Stream village board is continuing its push to permanently close Parking Field 26 this fall. The closure will clear the way for construction of The Alder at Valley Stream, a new 132-unit senior housing development at 62-78 Hicks St.
The closure will eliminate 156 parking spaces long used by nonresident commuters, who pay $650 annually for village parking privileges. Nonresident permit holders currently have access to Fields 8, 19 and 26, as well as the Hendrickson Pool parking lot. Village officials say they plan to repurpose another existing lot for nonresident commuters to replace capacity lost at Field 26.
Monica Senior Village currently stands as Valley Stream’s sole senior housing facility. The 192-unit complex has a four-year waiting list. Village Treasurer Tom McAleer emphasized that the demand for new development is undeniable, simply stating, “there’s a need.”
For daily commuters such as Masha Slepyan, a math teacher at the International High School for Health Sciences in Queens who lives in Hewlett, the upcoming closure presents logistical hurdles. Slepyan purchased an annual nonresident permit in April, unaware of the impending shutdown. She stated subsequent inquiries to local officials about alternative parking accommodations provided little relief.
“When I asked, the suggestion was to park in a faraway parking lot, or use meters,” Slepyan said. “It’s ridiculous. Why did I pay $600? What am I paying money for?”
Slepyan noted that Field 8, the nonresident lot closest to the Valley Stream Long Island Rail Road station, fills rapidly during morning peak hours, leaving Field 26 as the primary backup. She added that the Hendrickson Pool lot required a roughly 10-minute walk to the station. Alternatives remain scarce in neighboring communities, where parking can cost up to $800 annually in villages like Lynbrook.
“If I knew the lot is not available, I would not have bought the permit,” she said. “I’m just trying to figure out what I’m going to do at the end of the month.”
The imminent closure is also affecting local property managers struggling to secure parking for their tenants.
Adjacent to Field 26, Monica Senior Village has long relied on the municipal lot for extra tenant parking. Pamela Cappiello, executive director of the Valley Stream Housing Company, routinely uses the lot to compensate for the facility’s limited on-site capacity. She spends nearly $6,500 per year to purchase 10 parking spaces.
However, with Field 26 soon disappearing, Cappiello worries that her tenants, staff and other residents will face consequences trying to find parking.
“Tenants came and said, ‘I couldn’t find parking.’ It is gonna be a problem,” Cappiello said. “Aids come; they have a seven-hour shift. They can’t park here anyway so they park on the street. Nowhere on the street does it say it. Hicks is four hours only. Payne Avenue is four hours only. Guy goes around; he marks the top of your tire. Comes back four hours later, now you gotta ticket.”
While community members continue to push for immediate relief, suggesting remedies such as refunds, access to resident lots, or shuttle services to the train station, village officials say that another solution is currently in development.
McAleer stressed that village officials have kept nonresident commuters in mind throughout the planning process and are working to repurpose a pre-existing parking lot to replace capacity lost at Field 26.
“We never want to leave out our nonresident friends, and we will never abandon them,” he said. “Accommodations will be made.”
Although officials have not yet disclosed an exact location or opening date of the repurposed lot, McAleer expressed optimism that the transition will be seamless and ready for commuters before winter weather sets in. Fields 8, 19 and the Henrickson Pool lot will continue to be open for nonresidents.
Have an opinion on this parking situation? Send letter to jbessen@liherald.com.
