Changes coming to streets, but not Morgan Park

During their Glen Cove Pre-Council meeting on March 19, representatives from several different departments and companies from around the city discussed with council members the growing issues within its borders.

Changes to the city’s roads
With Glen Cove Police Department Chief William Whitton in attendance, the council discussed several alterations being made to the city’s roads. Whitton said that the department had met with residents looking for ways to calm traffic on Albin Street and Shore Road. As Shore Road comes in from Sea Cliff to Glen Cove, the speed limit changes from 25 miles per hour to 30. The GCPD has suggested lowering the speed limit to a constant 25 miles per hour, which council members said they’d consider. Albin Street, which branches off of Shore Road, might also see the same speed change.
Several changes in on-street parking could also be coming to Glen Cove. Parking within 90 feet east or west of the driveway of Cove Animal Rescue at 40 Shore Road could be prohibited at all times. Additionally, in order to make it easier for homeowners to pull in and out of their driveways, non-parking areas on Dosoris Way and Phillips Road may be extended. There may also be a 254-foot stretch of road on Phillips Road, which will be “no stopping” zones between 9 a.m. and 9 p.m., still allowing homeowners to park on the street overnight. The city may also add a handicap space in front of 1 School St.

Update on Brownfield Opportunity Area in the Orchard
As the planning for a potential overhaul of Glen Cove’s Orchard neighborhood moves forward, the council was presented with an update from Jocelyn Wenk of the Glen Cove CDA and Carrie O’Farrell, senior partner at Nelson, Pope & Vorhis, on comments from surrounding communities and state authorities.
According Wenk and O’Farrell, representatives from Sea Cliff are concerned with issues of groundwater removal, and the Town of Oyster Bay wants assurance that the area will maintain “suburban community character,” which would prevent big box retailers from starting franchises in the area. The New York MTA has announced its support for the project.
The council will be given a lengthy document that will include all of the current information available about the developments at the Orchard, including new updates and are set to discuss it during their next City Council meeting.
Morgan Park Bathrooms
The issue of renovations to the bathrooms at Morgan Park arose once again, with several members of the council expressing concerns with the progress. Controversy surrounding the bathrooms has been abuzz since the city paid $150,000 for contracting that has yet to result in the reopening of the bathrooms.
Mayor Tim Tenke has proposed that the council enter an agreement with Newport Engineering, P.C., to work on the project, which provoked opposition from councilmen Joseph Capobianco and Kevin Maccarone. They said that the repairs must go out for a request for proposal, something that the city has been reluctant to do since the summer of last year.
Capobianco said that the resolution proposed by Tenke shows a lack of communication between the mayor and the council. “Either you’re going to be transparent or you’re not going to be transparent,” said Capobianco, shaking his head.
Maccarone expressed frustration with the amount of money being spent on the project, which has the potential of reaching upwards of $500,000. “You could build a brand new mansion and put six bathrooms in it [for $500,000],” he said.
The council failed to come to a resolution on the issue.
The Glen Cove City Council will convene next at Glen Cove City Hall on March 26 at 7:30 p.m.