The Manhasset Park District election is Dec. 11, and two-term Commissioner David Paterson is running for re-election uncontested.
Paterson said that his biggest accomplishment so far has been expanding commuter parking in Manhasset and, if re-elected, he wants to work on eliminating illegal commuter lots.
These lots, which rent spaces to out-of-town commuters despite not having permission from the town or state, cause congestion and collisions when pedestrians are rushing to the train, Paterson said.
“Park Avenue has particularly suffered from multiple accidents and struck pedestrians this year,” he wrote in an email. “It needs to stop.”
Another goal for his next term is a project currently in the works to take over the Long Island Rail Road’s landscaping responsibilities at the Manhasset station. The park district plans to plant trees, shrubs and flowers there in the spring, Paterson said.
To expand commuter parking, the park district has redesigned its properties to add spaces. Manhasset Park District Lot 3 added 16 spaces last summer.
During his tenure, Paterson increased commuter spaces by nearly 8 percent, he said.
Now, the district is working on an agreement with the Town of North Hempstead to allow the two parties to patrol and enforce parking on Plandome Road. Parking there is restricted to an hour, but many people exceed that and some even park all day, Paterson said.
“It is a chronic problem that affects the local businesses as shoppers cannot park and run errands, shop or eat at the local businesses, simply because they cannot find convenient parking,” he said. “Joint enforcement would fix that.”
Paterson was elected in 2012 through a write-in campaign.
Though he is running uncontested, Paterson urged residents to come out and vote.
“Many people see local voting as an inconvenience, and others believe their votes do not matter,” he said. “But ironically, many local and state elections sometimes are decided by a handful of votes.”
