Friday, December 27, 2024
Vol. 101, No. 52
Buying or Sellin g? My Results W ill Move You!
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FOUNDED 1923 n LOCALLY OWNED AND EDITED
Laura Mullig
an Lic. R. E. Sales person O 516.307.9406 M 516.729.6885 laura.mulligan @elliman.co Garden City Office 130 7 th Street
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Winterfest 2.0 PAGE 7 n Fencers compete PAGE 32
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© 2024 DOUGLAS ELLI MAN REAL ESTATE. 110 WALT WHITMAN EQUAL HOUSING OPP ROAD, HUNTINGTON ORTUNITY. STATION, NY 11746. 631.549.7401.
Trustees approve $125K for law firm to fight casino
HOLIDAY DECORATING CONTEST
BY RIKKI MASSAND
The volunteer judges of the 2024 Window Display Contest in the Village’s business districts gathered ‘round the Christmas tree inside Tap Room gastropub on December 19th. From left to right, Village Trustee Judy Courtney, EAB member Evelyn Fasano, Marie Ilardi, Trustee Jessica Tai, Steve Ilardi, WPOA President Roseann Vernice and from the Welcoming Club of Garden City, Danette Ceriano Brunelli. Photo by Rikki Massand
At a special meeting on Wednesday, December 16, the Village Board of Trustees unanimously approved a $125,000 transfer and engaged the village’s environmental counsel, Sive Paget & Riesel P.C., to review and prepare comments and objections on the proposed Sands Casino development at the Nassau Hub site. The firm will specifically address the project’s Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) on behalf of the village government and its residents. At the meeting, which had an unusual 5 p.m. starting time, Trustee Ed Finneran made the motion to approve the lone agenda item. Once it was approved he mentioned the solidarity of the Board on the casino matter. The approval was unanimous though three trustees were unable to attend due to their work and other obligations. Finneran said the three all conveyed that they would have preferred to be at the meeting to cast their votes. Mayor Mary Carter Flanagan said, “I think we’ve been clear publicly that the Board is unanimously, unequivocally opposed to the Sands casino project at the Nassau Hub site.” Nearly a year ago, on January 18, 2024, the Town of Hempstead Board, designated as the lead agency for the New York Statemandated SEQRA (State Environmental Quality Review Act) See page 10
Village of GC 2024 in Review: Problems with Projects BY RIKKI MASSAND The Village of Garden City Board of Trustees concluded its calendar year, with their first meeting of 2025 set for Thursday night, January 16th. A quick look back at the last 12 months indicates that most of the village-level conversations centered on projects of various scales, along with related financial and quality-of-life issues. Many of these topics are likely to remain at the forefront
in the new year. The Village of Garden City welcomed several new restaurants in 2024. In the Franklin Avenue/Seventh Street corridor, the community saw the openings of Il Gufo at the former Walk Street location, Tony’s Tacos on Seventh Street in the former bank, and East Rock Coffee at 653 Franklin Avenue.
Appearances are key
One key initiative by the Village
Board addressed the upkeep, appearance, and cleanliness of the town’s commercial areas. In June, the trustees approved a contract with MetroExpress Services Inc. of Brooklyn for power washing in business districts, removing stains, debris, and other visual issues in shopping and dining hubs. Another enhancement program saw the village’s Recreation and Parks employees take over maintenance of lawns, landscapes, and greenspaces in
the Central section. This includes the Seventh Street/Franklin Avenue business district corridor, greenspaces near Village Hall on Stewart Avenue, plantings around the Garden City Public Library and LIRR station. The 2024 landscaping bid process resulted in Smithtown-based contractor BrightView Landscapes succeeding Con-Kel Landscaping. BrightView’s crews have been praised for their attenSee page 10
Chamber Holiday Window Display Contest PAGE 3 PTA announces Reflections district winners PAGE 20