By Libertina Brandt
Applause filled the room this past Tuesday as the Plandome Manor Board of Trustees approved two new laws amending both the zoning and streets and sidewalk codes during its monthly public hearing.
In an attempt to fix the roads of Plandome Manor, Local Law 2 will give the village authorization to repair the private roads of the village and bill the adjacent property owners.
With donation rates falling short and concerns from the community rising, a solution to fix the private roads has been on the board’s agenda since last September, said Trustee Matthew Clinton.
According to residents, some roads in Plandome are barely passable, forcing residents to change their driving routes.
“The roads are in such as state of disrepair. I don’t think there is anybody in the room that doesn’t recognize this. The roads are more dangerous than ever. On Bayview Rd., the potholes force you into oncoming traffic and blind corners. The time to fix this is now,” said Clinton.
If a road is deemed unsafe by the village superintendent, the board will schedule a public hearing and give a ten-day notice to the adjoining property owners. If a repair is ruled necessary, property owners will receive a 45-day notice before maintenance begins and can extend the notice with a written request from one-third of the impacted residents.
The cost of repairs will be imposed as a special assessment upon the adjacent property owners and despite differences in property value, will be divided equally.
The extent of the repairs will go far beyond replacing a blacktop with a blacktop, said Building Inspector Edward Butt. Engineers and construction workers will work intensively to provide a long-term solution for Plandome residents.
The board is working closely with Manhasset Lakeville and National Grid to expedite current projects so plans to begin repair efforts can be put into effect. They hope to launch the project in early September.
“I don’t see this effort being prolonged. We will have the contract, engineering, and bidding in place so when we get the go-ahead, we can start without hesitation,” Butt said.
Second on the night’s agenda was the passing of Local Law 3 which will require property uses permitted by special exception to undergo a site plan review.
This law will allow the board to study traffic impacts, parking, drainage efficiency, and the overall impact buildings such as on museums, schools, churches, and synagogues have on the neighborhood.
“Local Law 3 is really a mechanism to clean up the code a little bit. There are some uses that are permitted in residential districts that are more commercial in nature. A site plan review process will allow the board to make sure that these uses won’t not have a significant impact or that the impact is limited to the maximum extent possible through a site plan review process,” said Village Council John Farrell.
The board meeting was also provided an update on the village’s budget for the year which sets aside $430,000 for road repairs.
“Fixing the roads is a main priority,” said Mayor Barbara Donno.
Despite an increase in budget, members of the board are confident that residents won’t see a major tax jump.
Tuesday’s meeting also confirmed that the LIRR will be repairing the retaining wall near Plandome Station along Circle Dr.
Construction efforts are expected to last around eight months and are not expected to interrupt train services.
To close out the meeting, the board shared exciting news about the near completion of their new and improved website. The board also confirmed that if the present website is unable to host the tentative budget, a PDF version will be sent out to the community.
A public hearing will be held on April 16th during which further details of the year’s budget will be discussed.
