When I first requested in 2006 and again in 2008 that our road, (White Avenue-North New Hyde Park), be added to the five-year paving list by the Town of North Hempstead Highway Department, imagine my surprise when I was first told by the Department of Highways Superintendant Thomas Tiernan, at that time, that this road was last paved in 1989 and therefore it was too early to repave it since it was not yet at its 25-year life expectancy.
Only problem with this math was that we moved into our house on White Avenue and North 1st Street in November of 1989 and we were well aware that this road was not newly paved when we first moved in.
My subsequent investigation proved that the road had actually last been paved in 1981 during the last term of the Mike Tully administration. This was confused with some sidewalks that had been laid down that summer of 1989 along White Avenue. This made for a honest misunderstanding on the superintendant’s part, I thought at the time, but in actuality the road was already past its 25-year life expectancy, a life expectancy figure number I was given for this road by the superintendant himself upon my asking him.
Still the road was not added to the list at that time. Move forward to 2010 when I made my request again, on the record at various town board meetings, that the whole nine-block stretch of White Avenue be paved as it was further deteriorating now that it was approaching the 30-year mark since it was last paved, five years overdue.
Finally in 2011,after pestering my town government all those years I was assured at the end of last year (2011).that it was put on the paving schedule for the spring of 2012.
Having dealt with our town government since 1990 as a civic leader, I immediately asked if I could see it on the list for myself. I was told I could see it on the list, but that I would not be allowed to have a copy of this list without filing an official FOIL request. That’s fine I stated, just let me see how it appears on the list.
When I was shown the list I quickly realized that only the section of the road from Lakeville to Hillside Boulevard, a five-block section of our road was actually listed for paving.
What about the section between Hillside Boulevard and Cherry Lane (a four-block section of the same road).I asked in amazement, since I had advocated for the entire road over all those years.
No, all that is on the list for next spring I was told. Most unfortunate.
Trying for the rest on the next five- year list. I confronted this situation head-on and at another town board meeting at the open mike ,at the end of that meeting I appealed to Supervisor Jon Kaiman, who quickly passed me off to my Councilwoman Lee Seeman.
I was told to call her office and that she would look into it for me and would speak to the highway superintendant at an already scheduled meeting,which subsequently never occured. After numerous calls to her office,she stated to me she would personally come and observe the condition of our road for herself, which she then proceeded to do.
In a call to me by her after this viewing, she basically determined, what I already knew, that the eastern half of the road was in terrible condition, but in her non-expert opinion the western section was not as horrible as the eastern section, and did I not think that the western section could wait until the next go round.
I stated, “No, I though it was only a slightly less horrible condition” and that it would only get worse with time, ( potentially up to another five years}, at which time it would then be more than 32 and possibly up to 37 years since its last paving in 1981. I stated to her that this was a unacceptable outcome. She told me she would have the town highway superintendant call me and maybe he could have the rest of the road added on to the spring 2012 list,so that the entire road could be paved all at one time.
I never heard from him after that, so I tried to corner him at a town board meeting this past winter and he assured me “Not to worry about it,he would take care of it for me” as I literally chased him down a hallway at town hall.
Fast forward to last week, May 21-23 2012 (spring 2012), the road crews arrived and paved the eastern section (Lakeville Road to Hillside Boulevard) of the road( five blocks) then proceed to drive down and bypass the western section of White Avenue (a four-block stretch), on their way to Floral Park Centre to pave all of McKee Street and most,although not all of Barwick Street.
Imagine my anger and dismay as I personally watched a parade of construction vehicles of all shapes and sizes and a line of long dump trucks driver right past my house over our heavily patched section of White Avenue on their way to another job. I vowed then and there that I would write this letter to the editor, and justifiably call out all those public officials and town employees who literally left me standing by the side of the road.
I subsequently checked to make certain that this part of my road was not on the list separately for this year or next year,but hence it was not there. Someone from my town please call me and make this repaving happen. You all know where I live and you already know my telephone number. I have all the picture taken to prove my point.
The last time a town official blew me off was seven years ago and everyone in New Hyde Park and the rest of Council District 5 saw what I had to do next.
Don’t make me have to run once again to try to put a stop to the 5/9 th principle of the Town of North Hempstead.
Jim McHugh
North New Hyde Park
