The New Hyde Park Board of Trustees unanimously passed a resolution at a virtual meeting on Thursday allowing restaurants to offer outdoor dining once they reopen in order to minimize the risk of COVID-19 spread.
“We already do authorize outdoor dining to some extent, but we wanted to make it easier due to the current situation,” said Mayor Lawrence J. Montreuil, commenting that restaurants in New Hyde Park have been greatly impacted financially by the coronavirus pandemic.
The village will suspend zoning requirements to obtain special permits for outdoor dining.
Montreuil added that not all restaurants will be able to offer outdoor dining since some do not have enough space.
Once restaurants reopen, indoor seating will most likely be limited to 50 percent, he said.
Montreuil also announced that parks are open for passive use. Patrons are expected to maintain social distancing at all times.
Tennis courts are open for singles only.
The Village Hall remains closed to the public. The court is closed as well. Montreuil reported that the village is working on a plan for reopening the court, which has amassed a large backlog of cases.
The board voted unanimously to grant a license renewal to Mister Softee, despite alleged sightings of the ice cream truck selling treats without a license.
“Mister Softee jumped the gun a little bit,” Montreuil said, explaining that the village has been trying to track down the driver of the truck via phone and email.
“I stopped him one night and pointed out that he doesn’t have a permit, and that he needs a permit to sell ice cream,” he said. “A couple of summonses have gone out. What really distressed me is that after identifying myself as the mayor and telling him he couldn’t sell ice cream without a permit, he turned his music off and then turned it back on again a couple of blocks away and continued selling ice cream.”
Trustee Richard Coppola announced the reopening of North Hempstead’s beaches on Memorial Day weekend. The beaches are open to residents only.
The NHP North Lady Lions Club planted a tree in Memorial Park on Thursday, which the club has done annually for the past couple of years, said Trustee Richard Pallisco.
“The planting of this tree satisfies our Arbor Day celebration and maintains the status of Tree City USA for New Hyde Park,” he said.
Night work on the Long Island Rail Road third track project halted for Memorial Day weekend, but will resume on Tuesday, Trustee Rainer Burger said. It will continue through June 5, which is six days earlier than expected, he reported.
Burger encouraged residents to look at the renderings for the new LIRR station that can be found on the village website.
Tax bills will be sent out on Tuesday. Residents can opt to split the payment into two payments, and instructions for doing so will be mailed along with the tax bills, said Trustee Donna Squicciarino.
Residents can vote on the 2020–21 school district budget via absentee ballot. The ballots must be returned by 5 p.m. on June 9, and will be sent out two weeks earlier, Squicciarino said.
She also announced that the Town of North Hempstead is hosting drive-in movies every weekend. The movie nights will be in a different village park each week The events are free, although attendees are encouraged to bring nonperishable food items to donate to a coronavirus relief food drive. Residents can register for the movie nights on the town’s website.
