RVC residents voice concerns

Community members gathered at the July 18 village board meeting in the hope of opening a dialogue with Rockville Centre officials about a number of concerns.

In anticipation of larger-than-normal attendance, Mayor Francis Murray and trustees opted to relocate the meeting to the Sandel Senior Center, and moved up the pubic comment section to give more people a chance to speak.

“It’s amazing to see so many people here that are interested in the concerns of residents,” Deputy Mayor Kathy Baxley said. “The board is always ready to listen, to learn and to answer any questions, explain our policies, our decisions, and we are always open to ideas and suggestions.”

Jeannette Duncan Cornell, founder of the newly formed Rockville Centre Neighborhood Association, told the Herald she was motivated to form a civic group after seeing a number of concerns voiced by residents on various Facebook groups.

“I see a lot of people talking,” Cornell said. “I see a lot of complaining. I see a lot of spinning, if you will, where there’s no two-way communication that seems to be happening. So I thought, why don’t we try to create a forum for that? Why don’t we create a venue through which we can start to try to come together as a group, talk about what’s important to us and create dialogue with you (the village board), so that we can understand what’s being done, what’s not being done, and so you can understand what people are concerned about.”

When Cornell and her husband, Steven, set out to form the civic association, their Facebook group had about 100 members. In the weeks that followed, it has grown exponentially, to more than 750.

At the inaugural meeting of the Neighborhood Association on June 29, Cornell asked attendees to submit index cards listing their three biggest concerns. The responses were broken down by category, and presented to the group in the form of an online poll.

“I’m sure there’s a lot going on that we don’t know about because we haven’t been here (more than three years),” she told the board, “but perception becomes reality, especially when it comes to some of these issues that we’ll talk about.”

Based on the results, Cornell said, people appeared to be most concerned about zoning codes, homelessness, police presence, public safety and traffic concerns.

“We’re a large group of people that care a lot about this community,” she said. “So I think by working together, I am excited to see what we can do.”

Trustee Emilio Grillo said that he had attended the association’s first meeting, and felt that the discourse was very productive. “I thought there were a lot of great ideas exchanged,” Grillo said. “I think (this meeting) serves almost as an extension of that. We really appreciate everyone coming down. As the deputy mayor said, all of us remain accessible to the extent that you can email us or call Village Hall. Thank you all for your participation, not only tonight but into the future as well.”

The attendees’ zoning concerns included inquiries about a moratorium on vape shops and cash-for-gold businesses, and a proposal for a new medical facility on Sunrise Highway that is awaiting approval by the Board of Zoning Appeals.

Colleen McSparren, who has lived in the village for nearly 25 years, said that the decision on the medical facility is of the “utmost importance and urgency” for residents, including herself, who live within 200 feet of the proposed site, between a GMC dealership and Public Storage on Sunrise.

McSparren said that based on the application, developers are seeking to build a $45 million, three-story, 55,400-square-foot facility with 368 parking spaces that is anticipated to create 786 new jobs.

“This is voluminous, overly ambitious, and way too complicated,” she said. “This project would add tremendously to traffic congestion, our parking issues, create safety concerns, and concerns for our well-being. I’m not here to debate this project tonight. What I am here for is to inform the residents about this.”

Village Administrator Nancy Howard explained that by law, the board could not comment on a matter before the zoning board, and referred members of the association to voice their concerns in the proper venue. The next meeting of the Board of Zoning Appeals is scheduled for Aug. 14.

Laura Connolly, a village resident for 14 years, said that the increasing number of homeless people in the area have become a concern.

“We all know that when Covid hit, times changed,” Connolly said. “A lot of out-of-towners coming through, transient, like (the police) spoke about, and because of that we need to change. And I know you’re making steps toward that and we appreciate that, but we need a little more.”

She cited a number of reports by residents about a homeless man seen passed out under the influence of drugs, and another who was spotted sleeping outside Front Street Bakery, by the train station.

Police Commissioner Randy Dodd explained that law enforcement is limited in its capacity to remove unhoused people from the street when they aren’t harming themselves or others. He said that the Police Department has been handing out information to anyone who may be homeless, with locations and phone numbers of places where they can seek assistance.

Connolly also noted concerns about the Best Western hotel on Sunrise Highway, which she implied, without citing any concrete examples, was drawing sex offenders and prostitution. Police said that while the location is on their radar, it is up to the business how it wishes to control its property, and they urged residents who see something happening to call the Police Department.

As the meeting continued, residents shared their grievances about parking, traffic control, public safety and other quality-of-life concerns. Despite the challenges that were presented to the village board, the meeting concluded on a hopeful note: the community’s desire for collaboration and communication.