Stop signs approved for troublesome corner

A Town of Hempstead official announced the approval of four-way stop signs at Chapin and Camp avenues in North Merrick during a civic group meeting on Monday.

Tom Desiglio, traffic control inspector, said, “There will be four-way stop signs" put up, but warned that they "will go through procedure and take some time." Despite the wait, residents said they are pleased that some of their safety concerns are finally being addressed. Desiglio advised that all future requests about roadways need to be documented and should be sent directly to Hempstead Supervisor Kate Murray's office. Residents on those streets would then be petitioned by the Town of Hempstead.

North Merrick Community Association President Claudia Borecky said there have been 77 accidents in the past 10 years in the area, not including two residents at the meeting who had cars driven into their homes. The NMCA had sent nine letters to the Town of Hempstead about Camp Avenue between Pettit and Meadowbrook roads. "Cars are speeding down, waking neighbors up. People are afraid for their lives in that area," said Borecky.

Also discussed at the meeting were school tax increases, recent police reports and community crime. A proposed incinerator in Freeport, a LNG (Liquefied Natural Gas) island in the Atlantic Ocean, south of Long Beach, and cell-antennas in the area were all major issues addressed. All are projects that North Merrick does not want in or near the community.

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