Letter to the Editor See

from Nassau Illustrated News 8/03/2022, a weekly publication by Anton Media Group

Summer arts exhibits offer perspective (See

IT’S HIGH TIME VILLAGE ENFORCED PARKS POLICY

I am a life-long resident of and taxpayer in the Village of New Hyde Park (NHP) and would like to go on record re: the newly enforced park policies in our village as it relates to the most consequential time in the history of our young, less-than-a-square-mile village.

As a result of the MTA’s Long Island Expansion Project, which began in 2017 (and continues to this day), NHP village taxpayers have had to endure years of chaos, noise, vibration, traffic detours, brown water alerts, repeated interruptions to our daily lives and a long list of inconveniences and damage to public and private properties. For many of us, our front yards and our backyards were no longer a safe refuge. For the last several years (and counting), our village government was consumed with addressing the challenges of the LIRR Project, some to the exclusion of other serious matters which related to our parks. At a time when residents were most in need of the peaceful respite afforded by our green spaces, few of us got the chance to use them.

According to NHP Village’s Local law 127-1, amended on Feb. 7, 2012, “All parks, fields and playgrounds owned by the Village are for the exclusive use of Village residents and their guests, except ... as a member of an organized activity sponsored or sanctioned by the Board of Trustees.” This NHP Village ordinance was upheld by three prior and the present village administrations. Since its passage, signage has been posted at all entrances of our parks denoting this ‘residents only’ policy.

Unfortunately, it was rarely heeded and/ or obeyed. Many people from surrounding communities or as far away as Queens took full advantage of the rule’s non-enforcement without ever contributing a dime (or a moment of public service) to maintain our parks. The record of inappropriate behaviors seen and documented in the parks by Nassau County Police, village officials, code enforcement officers, village park attendants, and village residents themselves has been downright appalling over the years. Sadly, many residents concluded that our parks were not only inaccessible, but they were unsafe, too. NHP village residents consider our two neighborhood parks as extensions of backyards. We, the people who exclusively pay for them, will no longer tolerate the abuses witnessed there; nor will we lose priority access to them.

According to the newly announced parks

(Submitted photo) policy, everyone in Nassau County will continue to have access to our parks. But now NHP taxpayers will have priority access, and nonresident visitors must contribute to our parks’ maintenance. Countless other municipalities in our region have similar policies. With an attendant at the park’s entrance, NHP village taxpayers can be assured that when we visit, and most importantly, when our children visit, someone will be there to monitor who is in the park and supervise the activities that occur there. This policy helps to protect everyone: adults, children, and visitors, as well as taxpayer-funded property.

It’s important to note that our village has traditionally welcomed all visitors to all village-sponsored events — our concerts, celebrations, and parades are open to the public free of charge. That includes free parking, food, activities, prizes for contests, etc. In addition, our village grants permits to organizations (e.g. scouts, cultural groups, schools) for the occasional use of our parks and facilities at minimal or no cost. The communities surrounding our village have never once reciprocated that generosity.

Our village board was-is-and always will be responsive to the needs of the homeowners and taxpayers of our village. That is why we choose to live in an incorporated village. That’s why we choose to pay an additional tax above our town, county and school taxes. The new policies in place have taken a full 10 years to realize. That constitutes a generous gift to all those nonresidents who used our parks despite the signage at the entrances. The taxpaying public of New Hyde Park appreciate our NHP Village Board’s decision to stand up to the public pressure and finally represent the majority of taxpaying village residents who want our parks clean, accessible, and safe. by Diane Bentivegna, New Hyde Park

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