Construction on Middle Neck Road in Great Neck to replace the 112-year-old water main, which began Oct. 19, has caused ire among people who say the project has hurt local businesses during the most profitable time of a difficult year.
The project was rolled out by the Great Neck North Water Authority, which began planning for it “well over” a year before beginning construction, according to a representative. Water authority officials deemed the project “absolutely necessary” to complete as the water main is “well past” its life expectancy.
The project will improve the water authority’s ability to provide residents throughout Great Neck with an “adequate supply of drinking water during peak demands,” according to officials. The project will also improve flows to fire hydrants during emergencies.
The coronavirus pandemic, officials said, delayed the start of the project. That, paired with a Nassau County project from the Department of Public Works to pave parts of Middle Neck Road, heightened the need to complete the project during this time frame, officials said. Other setbacks included locating Verizon and National Grid lines and pipelines, large trees in the way, and some uneven terrain to keep sidewalks accessible to foot traffic, officials said.
“It made practical sense for us to replace the 112-year-old Middle Neck Road water main, which was well past its life expectancy, prior to Nassau County’s forthcoming paving project along the same roadway,” Great Neck North Water Authority officials said. “Otherwise, we would have been forced to wait until 2025 or later to initiate the work, which was out of the question.”
Despite officials’ reasoning on the immediate need for the project, others have questioned the need for the agency to work on sections of Middle Neck Road where local shopping and dining is more prominent than other sections in the heart of the holiday season.
“Considering the current situation with barely getting out of a pandemic, starting a project of this magnitude during what could possibly be the only season anyone in the town could do business is disgraceful,” David Zuckerman of Gelber & Mundy Jewelry Co. said in a statement. “It shows that those in charge are derelict in their duties and should be removed from office.”
Officials said the current section of construction from Cuttermill Road to Maple Drive is expected to be milled and given a base asphalt coating before stopping on Dec. 18, which would allow residents to take advantage of the local shopping with no interruptions or inconveniences right before Christmas.
Eateries throughout Middle Neck Road are also affected by construction as the cold weather has made outdoor dining more difficult. Even restaurants with limited indoor dining are typically advised to leave windows and doors open to combat the spread of the virus, state health officials said.
Shir Nahum, a partner of Rothchilds Coffee & Kitchen on 76 Middle Neck Road, said the construction has “seriously impacted business” in a negative way.
“The sidewalk seating was something of a lifeline for us considering the indoor restrictions, but since construction reached our block, that has vanished,” Nahum said. “The sidewalk is torn up, making for hazardous conditions, and for customers coming to eat inside or pick up for takeout, there is no parking, it is noisy and dusty and wholly unpleasant. Simply put, whatever small gains we made in our pandemic recovery have been completely wiped out by this project.”
Marnie Ives of Kron Chocolatier at 24 Middle Neck Road said she was lucky her business has fared well through the pandemic due to her website and phone orders, but neighboring merchants have not fared as well.
“I know that my merchant neighbors are suffering deeply,” Ives said in a statement to Blank Slate Media. “The devastating impact on surrounding businesses and restaurants will be felt for months, if not years. Our walk-in traffic has decreased substantially at a time when it was already hampered by advice to stay at home.”
Public notice of the impending construction was posted in the Oct. 16 issue of the Great Neck News and in one issue of the Great Neck Record. The water authority has also provided weekly updates on its website and letters were mailed to residents and business owners, officials said.
Water authority officials said meetings and video conferences with mayors and other government officials were conducted before construction. Nahum and Ives criticized local officials for not aiding merchants enough in one of the most challenging times local businesses have ever seen.
“We merchants downtown recognize this is a necessary project,” Nahum said. “[But] I think I can speak for all the merchants when I say this has been the most challenging of times. That our own villages did not consider this is a serious disconnect. While other towns have rallied around their small businesses, we have been ignored and worsened by our elected officials.”
“Had ONE PERSON on the Village board or [the water authority] considered the impact to the Village of Great Neck Plaza, maybe the start date could have been postponed until January 2021 and our merchants would have the opportunity to eke out some reasonable sales this holiday season,” Ives said.
Water authority officials said they recognized the inconveniences the project has brought for local merchants but touted the project’s long-term benefits.
“We understand that the community has experienced some inconveniences and are working hard to keep those to a minimum,” officials said.
The project, according to officials, will continue to work up Middle Neck Road, going as far north as Brokaw Lane, with the potential to expand to Beach Road. While no timetable for completion of the project was provided, officials said the roughly 10 percent of remaining work on the current section will resume on Jan. 4.
