Friday, November 6, 2026
The Sea Cliff Board of Trustees covered village project updates and discussed the future of the Sea Cliff Circle newsletter at its public conference meeting on Nov. 2. Ongoing projects include battery energy storage system legislation and a possible village green renovation. Resident Amy Marion was appointed to the village’s Environmental Conservation Commission, replacing Fred Black who resigned in September. Here are three things to know.
1. BESS vote scheduled
Trustees will vote on its proposed legislation on residential battery energy storage systems at its public comment meeting on Monday. A public hearing regarding the legislation was held at the board’s last public comment meeting on Oct. 13. During the hearing, resident Roger Street Friedman raised concerns that the proposed law was more restrictive than the state standard.
Mayor Elena Villafane said at the Nov. 2 meeting that the correct version of the proposed law was provided to the Nassau County Planning Commission, the entity overseeing growth, land development, environmental protection and historic preservation in the county. Villafane added that the copy sent to those that asked for it contained one discrepancy regarding fire-rated enclosures, but that issue has been rectified.
The board’s public comment meeting is scheduled for Monday at 7 p.m. at Village Hall.
2. Village green update provided
Villafane described the village green project as a “housekeeping project.” The holiday tree is planned to be moved to the opposite side of the property. Villafane added that an empress tree is planned to be planted in the holiday tree’s old spot, saying that it will not outgrow the space. Small boxwoods are proposed to be added, and more cleaning is planned. Villafane said it is now a “relatively small, low-budget project.”
The village green project has been downsized since it was introduced as a renovation. The village had received two proposals for the project and rejected both.
Residents raised concerned in past months about preserving certain plants, like the cherry trees, and the village’s Environmental Conservation Commission recommended that the village focus on native plantings.
3. Sea Cliff Circle changing hands
Villafane and trustees decided that the Sea Cliff Circle newsletter will be assigned to a new organizer, though a specific person was not definitively chosen. Village Administrator Bruce Kennedy currently compiles the newsletter. Villafane described the newsletter as having arrived at “an existential moment,” raising questions about the rules of submission and the type of content included.
She and trustees decided to amend submission rules to mandate that submissions must come from the main party involved. For example, if the submission is about the Sea Cliff Fire Department, it must be submitted by the fire department.
After deliberation over what kind of content is most appropriate to include, trustees decided that content focusing on arts, nonprofit organizations and village organizations like the Beautification Committee are acceptable. They also decided that new businesses in the village could be announced in the Circle if the business requests it.
