Community Watchdog

Robert McKoy says the Town of Hempstead's bulkhead at the end of his street in Oceanside needs replacing.
Newsday photo/Gwen Young

I live by a canal at the end of a dead-end street. The bulkhead, which is the responsibility of the Town of Hempstead, is in urgent need of repair. The street was repaved about 15 years ago, but the town said it didn't have enough money to do the bulkhead. A town official came to inspect it four years ago and recommended it be replaced, but they only did patchwork repairs and it was a waste of money. It needs to be replaced.
--Robert McKoy, Oceanside

Plans are in the works, town spokesman Michael Deery said, but everything's on hold until the state's Department of Environmental Conservation issues permits for the project.

The town applied for the permit in December last year. After we called, DEC spokeswoman Aphrodite Montalvo said the area was recently inspected by DEC staff and the agency plans to issue a permit for the project within a couple of weeks.

Generally, it takes 12 to 15 weeks to issue a permit for similar work, Montalvo said, but the town's application is taking twice as long because it submitted requests for three other pemits for similar projects.

Deery said once the permits are in hand, “We’ll move ahead and put out the bid” for the work.

To determine ownership of a bulkhead and report problems, Hempstead Town residents can call the Department of Conservation and Waterways at 516 431-9200.

Readers have contacted us about streetlights in their neighborhoods that need to be replaced. Here's a list of town links that should help you get a light replaced on your block:

A reader who saw that the Town of Islip town board recently passed restrictions on when garbage cans and how long they can stay at the curb, wrote this comment:

"No one listens to the Town of Hempstead codes...no full trash cans at the curb before 7pm the day before...cans must be removed no more than 3 hrs after being collected."

it's about enforcement. The towns can have all the codes they want, but if their not enforced, what good are they? Of course, it's a double-edged sword. We all want enforcement because they're directly related to our quality of life. But it's the same with traffic laws - there are so many drivers who violate them because there isn't enough personnel to enforce them.

Long Island has changed over the years and so have the people. There was a time when people were considerate of their neighbors, when they didn't throw garbage from their car windows, when they didn't run stop signs and red lights. It seems that many "newcomers" have changed the rules.

Better enforcement might help. But adding more personnel on the state, county or town level to make a real difference almost always means higher taxes.

Jennifer Washburn says she hears two loud bangs from LIPA equipment and then her area of Levittown loses power.
Newsday photo by Gwen Young

My neighbors and I have a problem with our LIPA service. Fifty-one customers on the east side of Ring Lane, the west side of Saddle Lane and the north side of Prairie Lane in Levittown experience frequent power outages due to LIPA’s defective equipment. It happens day or night throughout the year. I estimate we have lost power over 22 times since moving here in 2000. I have called and written to LIPA with no assistance or reply. It is frustrating because our neighbors across the street have power when we do not. We pay the same rates and should have the same service. We’ve ruined dinners because we’ve lost power while cooking, and I’ve lost income because I work from home and can’t access the Internet when we lose electricity. A major concern is that I have a bone disease and am afraid of falling or tripping over a pet when the power cuts off.
— Jennifer Washburn, Levittown

Within the next few weeks, after Long Island Power Authority crews have completed storm and heat-related work, someone will be sent to Washburn’s area to troubleshoot the problem, spokeswoman Elizabeth Flagler said.

In the past 12 months, the cluster of homes mentioned in Washburn’s e-mail has had five power failures, three caused by trees, and nine “momentary outages,” Flagler said, “so it’s not like an abundance of outages.” She was unable to immediately provide comparison figures for other areas on Long Island.

“We will have to go to each backyard to see if there’s something causing a problem at this address,” she said.

There was a fire in the house next door 14 months ago. It’s been vacant since and nests of bees and raccoons have settled in the garage, a few feet from my house. Police have been called because kids drink in the back. It’s been a mess. I’ve called a million different people but the Town of Hempstead won’t do anything. I thought they’d knock it down and clean it up because it’s a hazard.
--John Druckman, Seaford

The town had told Druckman it would take about a year from the time of the fire before they could fix this problem, but it’s taken longer than that because officials have been trying to balance the needs of neighbors and accommodate the elderly man who lost his house.

Town spokesman Michael Deery said the town has the power to order a demolition but has not done so because the homeowner first said he wanted to rebuild and needed to submit plans for his permits.

The town waited for the plans, however, the man apparently didn’t have insurance on the house and didn’t have the money to rebuild. When the town inquired about the property, he then indicated that he planned to sell. There’s a broker’s name on the house but no sale has taken place, Deery said.

“We are continuing to work with him,” he said. “We’re hoping if he’s looking to sell the property that might bring about an amicable solution.”

Town press secretary Susie Trenkle said it usually doesn’t take this long for the property to be remediated because most people have insurance and the town expedites permits to rebuild after a fire.

However, if action isn’t taken by the homeowner and the house needs to be demolished, the town can begin legal proceedings that would lead to demolition.

Town residents with similar problems should call 516 489-6000.

A Wantagh reader wants trampolines prohibited in backyards.

We think the problem may have more to do with irritating neighbors than anything else.

She wrote in part: “I am requesting that an ordinance be enacted by the Town of Hempstead PROHIBITING TRAMPOLINES from being erected in “closing neighboring” back yards. I have a six-foot fence enclosing my property for safety reasons and especially for my privacy,” she wrote. “There is now a new rental neighbor who has erected a TEN FOOT HIGH TRAMPOLINE, Including the netted enclosure directly behind my fence. You can see the four boys standing on it from the waist up above my fence, full body view when jumping, and this is at least five hours per day, which I am subjected to listen to…They have damaged my property, my fence, thrown a knife and trash into my yard and have also spit on me in MY OWN YARD! Please OUTLAW them, BAN them, MAKE them ILLEGAL!”

I have no doubt that this homeowner feels her privacy has been invaded, and it sounds like her new neighbors may not feel sympathetic to her wishes.

I’ve asked the town whether there are plans for any such ordinance, but I’m thinking if these boys are on the trampoline five hours a day, at least their parents know where they are.

UPDATE:

Town of Hempstead spokesman Michael Deery said the town has no plans to adopt an ordinance banning trampolines, which are considered playground equipment under New York State codes and do not require permits.

If there are knives involved, he said, police should be called to take action.

Before, Don Vaneck wanted the town to install a fence to keep out trash...

...and after the Town of Hempstead installed a new fence around the Bellmore lot.

The Town of Hempstead has kept its word to Don Vaneck and his Bellmore neighbors, installing a new fence around a town lot that’s been fence-challenged.

We featured Vaneck in a column last month after he contacted us because fences around the lot have fallen apart or disappeared after being vandalized. That problem left the lot, which contains a box culvert pipe to stop occasional flooding, open to large trash deposits and graffiti-makers.

Town spokesman Michael Deery told us that residents in the area would be polled about their fence preferences. Earlier this month, 60 feet of new vinyl-coated chain-link fence that cost $2,500 was installed. Vaneck’s wife Regina declared, “This is much more appealing to the eye.”

Residents with town fence problems can call 516 489-6000

Dan Vaneck wants the Town of Hempstead to replace a fence

A Town of Hempstead lot between Martin Avenue and Natta Boulevard across from our Bellmore home is constantly littered with trash, graffiti and items that people don’t feel like taking to the dump. The town recently install a chain-link fence, but it was flimsy and dismantled by kids. We would like to have a stockade fence installed on the north side of the lot.

Soon after we called the town, the town contacted area residents to determine what type of fencing they would prefer. Homeowners differed, but based on their input, the town now has to decide which fence would best suit the job.

“Once that determination has been made, the fence will be up within a week or two,” said town spokesman Michael Deery.

The Martin Avenue parcel dates to the 1970s when the town installed a concrete pipe known as a box culvert to stop occasional flooding from Newbridge Creek. Since then, the parcel has had an assortment of fences that have been broken or vandalized.

The most recent chain link fence, installed late last year, has vanished, Deery said.

Vaneck has a theory: “The last fence was missing the top bar, so it quickly fell apart when kids climbed it.”

Town residents with fence problems on town-owned land should call the town’s help line at 516-489-6000.

Related sites on this topic:

Based on emails to watchdog@newsday.com, readers welcome road-paving projects, especially on their block.

One town, the Town of Hempstead, has a listing for some of the planned road projects for the first half of this year. Click here to view the page. Seems like a nice idea to let residents know when to expect the pavers to come through.

We received the letter below in response to a Community Watchdog item that appeared Jan. 27 in Newsday. The complaint involved a home in Baldwin whose owner has been given summonses by the Town of Hempstead for excessive trash around the yard and other code violations. We didn’t name the homeowner in the column.The letter has been edited so that he remains anonymous here, and for length. The photo of Greco appeared in the column.

Dear Gwen Young,

After reading the Community Watchdog complaint by Della Greco... I felt compelled to write an neighborly response. I have known the owner of the property for years as a fellow resident of Baldwin. I have employed him to do odd jobs, as well as consulting with him on antiques and restorations. And while [he] may be one of the town’s more colorful characters, I have always known him to be an outstanding individual with an incredibly wonderful attitude about life and living.

He sees art and beauty in Americana and in our past. His home restoration project is a labor of love, and with many long term restoration projects time and patience is required. While Ms. Greco may find the property in disarray at times with wood, ladders, and old appliances lying about, these objects she gripes about are really unrestored gems from Long Island’s past.

All construction projects are messy. But this property is not dangerous and it is not a “pigsty” inside or outside. [The owner] has come a long way in completing his dream house; that of an 19th century homestead, but more time is required.

Unfortunately time may be running out for him. He has been diagnosed with terminal cancer and is now in poor health and suffering from the ill affects of the cancer and the aggressive Chemotherapy treatments he is currently undergoing.

As neighbors we certainly find it easy to complain and easy to pass judgment on our fellow neighbors. Their lawns are not cut. Their children are too loud. Their property is messy. There is always something to say, to gossip and stew about - that is in our natures. But in times of emergencies and strife we do have the ability to come together for the better. To that end, I have offered [the owner] help in getting his work site in shape, for him and for the community in general. The help he needs, but that he can no longer do by himself.

Perhaps if we all stopped complaining about problems and got out there to offer our support we might just accomplish something positive in the end.

I urge Ms. Greco and all [the owner’s] neighbors to rally behind him and lend a neighborly hand. It’s so easy to complain and to hide behind a letter, and I guess even harder to lift a finger to actually help somebody out. It would be a win, win for all of us!

Alan Matlick
Baldwin

Unrelated to this topic:
Thanks to the NY Giants for a fantastic Superbowl!

Marilyn Weissman wanted a "No Thru Trucks" sign in Oceanside

Photo by Howard Schnapp

There is a five-block stretch of Oceanside Road between Mott Street and Waukena Avenue that had signs at either end stating, “No Thru Trucking Over 8,000 lbs.” One of those signs is now gone, making it a road filled with school buses and garbage trucks. Commercial vehicles don’t belong on this street, because they are a hazard to children walking to and from Boardman Elementary School.
--Marilyn Weissman, Oceanside

The missing sign was replaced five days after we called the Town of Hempstead.

“That stretch [of road] is off-limits to big trucks,” said Edward T. Sieban, town board executive assistant.

Since the sign disappeared a year ago, our caller said the biggest problem has been large commercial trucks traveling to the town’s waste transfer station on Long Beach Road, which accepts mostly yard waste and metal goods that are then shipped to landfills or recycling plants, town spokesman Michael Deery said.

Our caller said she hasn’t seen much of a change in the road’s traffic since the sign was replaced last month, but she hopes trucks will start to use nearby Long Beach Road instead. If not, she said she may ask Nassau police to beef up patrols. “For now, I’m just glad the sign is up,” she said.

Town residents with sign problems can call the town’s help line at 516-489-6000.

Also related to this topic:
*Town of Hempstead Help Form
*NY DOT Restrictions for Commercial Vehicles
*Oceanside Civic Association

Goldman, Wednesday night, before the streetlight in front of his home was relit.
Newsday Photo by Ana P. Gutierrez

A crew of Verizon workers were working on my block to install buried utility lines and they cut the lines to the street lamp in front of my house, making the area around my house extremely dark at night. My wife almost broke her leg when she came home from work as she tripped walking up my driveway. Verizon says the Town of Hempstead has to fix it. I have contacted the town repeatedly and they say they’re going to do it. That was over a month ago. The street is dark and unsafe.

-- Alan Stewart Goldman, Merrick

The streetlight should be working by the time you read this.

When we talked to town spokesman Michael Deery last week, he said Goldman’s complaint to the town on Dec. 18 was being resolved and that Hempstead officials would meet with Long Island Power Authority workers on Wednesday.

Late this afternoon, Deery said, “a trench was dug, a new cable was laid and LIPA, we believe, has energized the circuit. That would mean the light should be on this evening.”

It wasn’t a simple fix. “We had to go through a process known as ‘one call’ to ensure there are no other utilities in the area, and having them marked so you don’t create further damage,” Deery said.

“It was actually the feed cable, so a trench had to be dug. It wasn’t merely the connection at a light post, which can be done very quickly.”

Town residents with a streetlight problem can call the town's hotline, 516 489-6000 or email the town with details.

Also related to this topic:

*Town of Hempstead Emergency Services for street light outages, flooding and other problems:
*Verizon Customer Support
*South Merrick Community Civic Association
*Newsday: “Neighbors feel unsafe on dimly-lit street” (Dec. 16, 2007)

I need your help to get a “CURB YOUR DOG” sign. I’ve lived here 45 years and dog owners use my property as a doggie toilet. Polite reminders have led to many nasty confrontations. Since last February, I’ve written the Town of Hempstead and Nassau County Department of Public Works, but nothing’s been done. It’s not a pleasant job to have to do the cleanup.

-- Harold Kolher, North Woodmere

Five days after our phone call, the Town of Hempstead installed the sign Kohler requested in front of his home. Workers attached the sign to a streetlight pole.

Any homeowner experiencing problems similar to Kohler can request the signs by calling the town’s helpline at 516 489-6000, spokesman Michael Deery said. If a pole needs to be installed, the town must first determine whether there are any underground cables on the property. “In most cases, it’s not a problem at all to put up the sign,” Deery said.

Also related to this topic:

*Newsday: “Dog friendly parks and beaches on Long Island”
*Town of Hempstead Complaint Form
*Good Pooch “Dog Walking Etiquette”

Q.There's a boat on a trailer that's been in the street for two months. Nassau County's Fifth Precinct police said the boat isn't supposed to be there. It's right across from my driveway. It's a narrow street and it makes it difficult for me to leave my driveway. I called the Town of Hempstead at least two times. Would you like a boat in front of your house?
Jackie Benanti, West Hempstead

A.The boat has been moved.

We called the Town of Hempstead and the next day, spokesman Michael Deery said the town's highway department would check out Benanti's complaint. A few days later, the boat had been moved to the owner's driveway.

"The police department requested we wait 24 hours,” Deery said. If the boat wasn't moved, "We could go ahead and remove it. We were prepared to do that but the owners removed it from the roadway.”

Residents who want an abandoned vehicle removed from a town street should call the non-emergency number for their local police precinct or the Town of Hempstead hotline at 516 489-6000. After the vehicle is ticketed by police and the town is notified, the highway department will remove it within several days, Deery said.

Also related to this topic:

Q. In February, a Town of Hempstead sanitation truck damaged my SUV. The police and a town supervisor were called. The supervisor said the town would take care of the damage. My insurance company gave me a check to have the SUV fixed, minus my $500 deductible. Two months later, my insurance company informed me they were having a problem collecting from the town and were giving the claim to an attorney. Recently, I received another letter from my insurance company saying they're still trying to collect.
Walter Strycharz, East Meadow

A. Nine months after his parked SUV was damaged by a sanitation truck, Strycharz still hadn't been reimbursed for the $500 deductible not covered by his State Farm insurance policy.

After calling Town Hall to ask why Strycharz' payment was stalled, we learned that the insurance company hadn't negotiated a settlement with the town.

State Farm declined the town's offer of partial damages in March and then sued the town for full damages in July. The town responded to the suit that same month and was still waiting to hear from State Farm. The case was at a standstill when Newsday called.

Town spokesman Michael Deery checked out the problem for us. As a result, the town's claim service broke tradition: Instead of waiting to hear from the Strycharz' insurer, the service contacted State Farm and negotiated a settlement, Deery said.

Strycharz should have his check in a few weeks, he said.

Last week State Farm accepted 95 percent of the damages and Strycharz said he will be receiving a check for $475. A State Farm spokeswoman said the company doesn't comment on policyholders' claims.

Based on state law that applies to all Long Island towns, any resident whose property is damaged by the town can sue for reimbursement, Deery said.

The general procedure, Deery said, can vary slightly by town:

Q. It's been years since the county removed two huge trees from the front of my house because they had been losing branches and could become dangerous in a storm. I was promised two new trees at no cost. I'm still waiting. I've tried writing and calling but to no avail. The front of my house is so bare looking, it's depressing. I'm 83 years old and would like to see two trees while I'm still here to enjoy them.
Irene Eulner, New Hyde Park

A. Mrs. Eulner has her trees.

The Town of North Hempstead Highway Department planted two pear trees two days after we called to find out why the old trees hadn't been replaced. We learned that the highway department had removed the trees in December 2005.

When trees are removed, the stumps are left there for a year, allowing the roots to die before the stumps are removed, said Town spokesman Justin Meyers. Usually, trees are planted within three months after that, but new plantings could take up to a year if the highway department has storm work or other higher priority tasks.

The delay in getting Eulner's trees planted occurred because her earlier calls to the town's 311 hotline came before its computer system was fully implemented, he said. Now, there's a system that logs each complaint.

After the pear trees were planted, Eulner said, "I got my two trees today. They're kind of scrawny looking but it's so nice to see something in front of the house.”

Town of North Hempstead residents with a problem involving trees on town roads, or other problems, should call 311. Complaints may also be emailed by visiting northhempstead.com and clicking Contact Us in the left hand column.

Also related to this topic: