Not grateful for the trucking through Lawrence Lane

A collision of residential homes, commercial businesses and government inaction has combined to anger residents and annoy a business owner.

Delivery trucks travel through Lawrence Lane coming mostly from Burnside Avenue in Lawrence outside of the incorporated village to an area that is 80 percent commercial, according to Complete Transport System owner John DeBetta.

As those vehicles rumble through the residential portion made up of single-family homes, several Lawrence Lane residents have complained often but to no avail, said Shari Salimi, adding that the situation has worsened since Complete Transport System moved in four years ago. The container freight station is at 22 Lawrence Lane.

“We’ve been living here 11 years, he came here four years and there has been an uptick in the commercial zone,” Salimi said. “I either want this guy to or Garden Lane has to be open.” Only local deliveries are permitted and its Salimi’s contention that Complete Transport is not local delivery. The town defines local delivery as oil delivery, postal and other carrier deliveries, sanitation and landscapers. Trucks also park and wait where it is not per

Garden Lane is another street that can be accessed from Burnside Avenue and if opened from the property that leads into the Bar Harbour Mall, both Salimi and DeBetta think that things could be better. “It could resolve 50 percent to 60 percent of the problem, maybe 70,” DeBetta said.

The hold up? Government. Both DeBetta and Salimi said they have contacted and over the years spoken to Town of Hempstead Councilman Bruce Blakeman multiple times about opening Garden Lane for the trucks to then access Rockaway Turnpike and the Nassau Expressway, both of which are more conducive for tuck traffic than the narrow, residential section of Lawrence Lane. “He’s the guy to make it happen, no one has used the back in four years,” DeBetta said.

Salimi said that the town closed Garden Lane several years because of a car accident. She said that residents met with Blakeman and other officials when the recently completed Nassau Expressway project was getting under way. A ramp was proposed but that turned out to be a no go.

All of this neighborly talk belies the “war” a few residents and DeBetta have been waging. Many of the trucks end up on residential sidewalks and one time a resident placed a metal spike in the roadway to deflate truck tires. One couple keeps a running video on Twitter showing the trucks and DeBetta said he’s about to drop a defamation lawsuit on some of the residents. He added that he is now fining his drivers $25 every time they do not stop at the stop signs in the area, and will donate the collected money to a charity of the residents’ choice.     

On the possibility of opening up Garden Lane Blakeman said: “It’s complicated, but we are looking at the feasibility of diverting truck traffic to Garden Lane which would require the acquisition of private property. “So I’m not sure we can do it, but we are looking at it carefully.”

The acquisition of private property for public use is called imminent domain. The owner must be offered fair market value for a municipality to but the land. DeBetta said he is willing to meet with the residents and Blakeman to get this done. Salimi said they have continued to contact Blakeman’s office. Jordan Hiller, the lawyer residents hired to represent them, said that Ashkenazy Acquisition Corp. that manages the mall showed no interest in selling the 100-square-foot area. The company did not return a call for comment.

“Why do we have to put up with this stuff,” said Lawrence Lane resident Thomas Hutchinson about the high volume of truck traffic. “It’s crazy.”