Cleaning up the Rockville Centre entrance

Coming into Rockville Centre from the east, west or south, drivers are greeted by well-kept streets and tidy storefronts. But entering the village from the north, by way of Peninsula Boulevard or North Village Avenue, the first things they see are downed trees, gnarled and overgrown branches and broken, rusted fences.

A ragged stretch along the west side of Peninsula Boulevard runs from the exit from the Southern State Parkway to the border of the Dean Skelos Sports Complex, about 1,000 feet away. An unkempt area of North Village Avenue spans a mile, from the north by Mercy Medical Center, to Lakeside Drive in the south.

But the eyesores residents have long complained about could soon be gone. According to village officials, the county is responsible for maintaining the sides of both roads — and the county is beginning work this week on North Village Avenue.

“Maintenance on the area has not changed at all, but the damage caused by Sandy has left some areas worse than others,” Mike Martino, the spokesman for the county Department of Public Works, wrote in an email. “As the County continues to deal with Sandy’s damages each area will be restored to pre-storm conditions.”

According to Martino, county workers began cleaning up North Village Avenue on Monday, and were scheduled to continue all week, weather permitting.

The village is also asking the county to begin work on Peninsula Boulevard. Village Administrator Keith Spadaro said that if the county doesn’t begin a cleanup soon, the village will step in and do the work to make sure there are no safety issues for residents.