Opposition grows on transfer of Nassau preserves

As Nassau and Oyster Bay officials continue to work out a deal for the town to take over several county parks and roads, opposition is growing among elected officials, residents and environmental groups.

[Joey]

Venditto says the 'Preserve Property" will remain as-is.

There is the rub. He plans to dispute where the Preserve boundaries really lie and will bulldoze and develop anything that falls outside those boundaries. He has every intention of putting in more ballfields becuase the soccer clubs are lobbying him HARD to do so.

Also, Venditto is making a FALSE claim that Stillwell is used only by local residents. That is completely UNTRUE. Hikers, cyclists, bird watchers and hobbyists travel to and use the Stillwell Preserve from as far away as NYC and Eastern Suffolk.

[Joey]

One more thing......how is giving this land away "saving the County money?"

The County spends virtually NOTHING for the upkeep and maintainence of these properties. Virtually ALL of this work is done by groups like CLIMB (www.climbonline.org ) and Rich Schary's group.

[MELINDA]

Nassau Counties parks are a disgrace !! As a matter of fact this entire county is a damn disgrace !!!

[Gerry Knight]

Venditto can not be trusted. Turn the overgrown sumps into soccer fields.

[Already taxed out]

they say this will save the county money,,,but bet me your taxes will not go down.. the town will now have to foot the bill,,bet me your town (the bigger one) will GO UP...

I see no savings for the tax payers, just a long shaft with a screw

[mister hard driver]

Joey wrote:

Venditto says the 'Preserve Property" will remain as-is.
There is the rub. He plans to dispute where the Preserve boundaries really lie and will bulldoze and develop anything that falls outside those boundaries. He has every intention of putting in more ballfields becuase the soccer clubs are lobbying him HARD to do so.
Also, Venditto is making a FALSE claim that Stillwell is used only by local residents. That is completely UNTRUE. Hikers, cyclists, bird watchers and hobbyists travel to and use the Stillwell Preserve from as far away as NYC and Eastern Suffolk.

the term "as is" worries me too. does he mean filthy dirty with broken benches, dog droppings, litter, and no enforcement? because thats how the massapequa preserve is now. its a dog run for some local residents and a garbage dump for others.
and oyster bay doesnt have much of a track record - the Kennedy preserve at Tobay beach has an observation tower in it that was vandalized and has been out of use for years. last fall the road washed out in the preserve and still isnt repaired. it doesnt take much to care for a preserve, but it takes something, and neither of these groups has it.

[Cyrus]

Why do the towns want these county properties? If I was a resident of TOB, I would say let the county keep their parks, Maybe even take over a couple of town parks.

Its called economy of scale. As a county resident my park tax is split amongst a larger number of county residents. Transfer to the town, and my park taxes go up, because the expense is split amongst the lower population of the town.
I don't see the benefit(to the towns)

[Interesting]

Cyrus wrote:

Why do the towns want these county properties? If I was a resident of TOB, I would say let the county keep their parks, Maybe even take over a couple of town parks.
Its called economy of scale. As a county resident my park tax is split amongst a larger number of county residents. Transfer to the town, and my park taxes go up, because the expense is split amongst the lower population of the town.
I don't see the benefit(to the towns)

Yeah, that is interesting. While on the one hand Suozzi bemoans all of the special districts and cries out that everything from school spending to garbage to sewers should be consolidated, he wants to transfer all these County parks to smaller special districts?

[Norm]

WTF, just his morning I was at the
session of the Nassau Legislature where
they approved the purchase of the
Smithers property in Oyster Bay. Wait a minute...we pass a 100 million environmental bond issue to buy open space and give away parks and roads to the Town of North Hempstead and now to Oyster Bay. Folks, we need someone else in Mineola.
www.longislandreporter.com

[SoundsInsane]

Part of the fuss is over the fact that just a few years ago people's taxes were raised and monies put aside for the maintanence of the preserves. Where is this money going now? This is money already raised and set aside for a purpose that no longer exists. This is millions of dollars. Also, concerns have been raised because right now we have unlimited access to these properties, but when the towns take them over they will fence them up and you will have to pay a fee to use them, like every other town park. Who do they think they're kidding?

[SoundsInsane]

And, before you know it, the towns will be "giving away" the outskirts of this preserve land to people of "special interest" so they can build homes on them. Just like every other town. Chisel away that preserve land until there is none left.

[John]

We pay high taxes and we cant even have a park system? I'm sick of living in a county with lousy public services, from police, transit, and now parks. Sanity must prevail in the legislature and this transfer must be stopped. I do not trust the towns in preserving these places, and even if they do, they could limit them to their residents and charge fees.
Oyster Bay town already cleared some land in Stillwell before the transfer has even taken place, plainly illegal. Suozzi wants to put us all up a creek. He has been since day 1. Why do we keep re-electing these fools?

[Pandadoll]

We can have a PARK system....

The problem with the County is poor management....

There is plenty of MONEY already available.

LCVB...Hotel/Motel tax.

Preserve and flourish through Historic Preservation.

IT IS POSSIBLE.

The powers that BE are just stubborn.

[Pandadoll]

I want to know how to save the open spaces and how to preserve the HISTORY around here.

What is the problem?

Who do we need to contact.

Tell me.

I'll do it. I know others that are concerned as well.

[Pandadoll]

Make the information public.

The problem is that no one knows.......

[Now Ive Seen It All]

Pandadoll wrote:

We can have a PARK system....
The problem with the County is poor management....
There is plenty of MONEY already available.
LCVB...Hotel/Motel tax.
Preserve and flourish through Historic Preservation.
IT IS POSSIBLE.
The powers that BE are just stubborn.

Listen you TREE HUGGER: the towns and county should get rid of these properties NOW. Enough money has been wasted on this crap for far too long. Get the government out of the entertainment/recreation business. If you want to "hike" take a walk around the block! Wanna "bike" grow up - you're not 10 years old! Play soccer? Pay for it yourself! Don't expect the rest of us who are working too many hours to have THE TIME to use these facilities to pay for your lazy butt to have fun.

[massapequan]

Now Ive Seen It All wrote:

<quoted text>
Listen you TREE HUGGER: the towns and county should get rid of these properties NOW. Enough money has been wasted on this crap for far too long. Get the government out of the entertainment/recreation business. If you want to "hike" take a walk around the block! Wanna "bike" grow up - you're not 10 years old! Play soccer? Pay for it yourself! Don't expect the rest of us who are working too many hours to have THE TIME to use these facilities to pay for your lazy butt to have fun.

It is no one’s fault that you work too many hours at a job you hate . It is no one’s responsibility but your own to make you feel it’s worth it. Don’t take out your bitterness on the caring or concerned. I guess you think we should all live in the land of highways and strip malls and never appreciate nature. after all we’re all just a bunch of tree hugging hippies, right? If you want to live in a concrete jungle with no air quality go move to the city.

[News Hound]

Come to Sea Cliff village. We have beautiful, well-dept parks here. You're welcome to appreciate them.