Community Watchdog: Intersection needs a traffic light

There's a traffic light at the intersection of New Hyde Park Road and Marcus Avenue in New Hyde Park that needs a left-turn arrow. We take our lives in your hands trying to head south onto New Hyde Park Road from Marcus (which turns into Union Turnpike west of the intersection). The Town of North Hempstead's Clinton G. Martin Park is on Marcus and many Project Independence members who are seniors drive there for activities. The three other sides of the intersection all have left-turn arrows. We've been asking for this for four years. To me, this is terrible neglect, and it's a tragedy in the making.

-Hazel Kaufman Pachtman, New Hyde Park

You may have been asking for four years, Mrs. Pachtman, but it wasn't on anyone's radar for most of that time. Nassau Public Works Commissioner Shila Shah Gavnoudias says the department got the request in March last year.

We can't pin down how long it takes to look into requests like this one, but we're told this isn't a simple fix and one of the main concerns is to keep traffic flowing.

"Just installing an opposing arrow isn't necessarily a good thing to do," said Deborah Goehner, public works traffic engineer who will review the survey data that are being taken at the site, from 8 to 10 a.m. and from 4 to 6 p.m. "It's not a typical location because it's so close to the other signals," Goehner said. "It isn't so clean cut. That's why we're studying it, why the data we're collecting has to be analyzed."

Shah said that if the review is "expedited," it would take six to eight weeks to decide whether they think the arrow is necessary. "We can think about doing that," she said of the expediting. But there are no promises. "We need to take a look at our overall workload. That's really what it comes down to."

Stay tuned.

We moved here in 2003. Shortly after, we started having problems with 18-wheel tractor-trailers using our street and coming up on my curb to back into the industrial area at the end of our block. We would complain to police, but by the time they came, the trucks were gone. We complained to the Town of North Hempstead but nothing was done. My husband and I wanted to protect our children from these trucks so we had a 3-foot fence installed in the front yard, not realizing there's a town law prohibiting them. (There are three other homes on our block that have front yard fences.) In 2006, we were given a notice of violation for having the fence and told we had to apply for a permit. We paid $210 for code violations and the permit application. We never heard from the town so we thought our permit had been approved. Late last year, we were given a court appearance ticket for having an existing structure without a permit. That cost us $350, and we had to pay $62 for another permit. Last month, the permit was denied. We just want our six children to be safe.

-Jane Gilbert, Albertson

There was a failure to communicate, Mrs. Gilbert. When you got the first permit, you should've been told:

1. It wouldn't be approved because of the town's ordinance against front yard fences.

2. The denial would allow you to file for a variance with the Board of Zoning Appeals.

Town spokesman Collin Nash says, because of the no-fence ordinance, the only way you'd be able to keep yours is with a variance, and the board won't hear a case without a denied permit application.

Somehow, you weren't notified. "This is an aberration and it happened at a time when our building department was in turmoil for a while," Nash said, referring to a district attorney investigation that led to several arrests.

Nevertheless, Nash says, "Permit applications expire in two years. . . . The onus was on her to contact the town" to find out the status.

Now that the second permit has been denied, Mrs. Gilbert can plead her case to the Board of Zoning Appeals. Nash says her appointment is scheduled for June 9.

Stay tuned.

Shaw Drive in North Merrick has now deteriorated to the point where complete re-construction of the road is necessary. Over the years, countless potholes have been reported to the Town of Hempstead. There have been cases where parked cars have been sideswiped because drivers are trying to avoid potholes. There must be a complete repair of this road.

-Larry Misita, North Merrick

Better luck next year, Mr. Misita.

While town engineers agree the road needs to be repaved, it's not on the highway department's paving schedule for this year. But officials said "strong consideration" is being given to Shaw and surrounding roads for next year's paving plan.

The town's paving plan is made up "at least a year in advance," said town spokesman Michael Deery. At our request, the town patched has potholes as a temporary measure.

A year ago, we wrote about another reader who wanted Shaw Drive repaved. After our call, the town filled dozens of craters throughout the half-mile road, rather than repaving it. While engineers agree this time that the street needs to be repaved, our readers will have to hope it happens next year.

Concerns about Town of Hempstead roads should be addressed to the highway department at 516-489-5000.

- Michael R. Ebert