Bethpage-Tribune_1989-11-30

              BETHPAGE
f.-f*^ M,l h n . i ' p ' I.I I ' ' •> ' V
- 1 / I'-w. I 1 / • ^ ' • , n . i
Island Trees
YOUR OFFICIAL HOMETOWN NEWSPAPER
serving
Plainedge Seaford Old Bethpage Plainview
VOL. 23 NO. 5 NOVEMBER 30 - DECEMBER 6,1989 2S CENTS
FIESIDENTS BL.
GRUMMAN PROPO
AT OPEiyi FORUItfl ME!E!T #% i ^ # 1 ^ I E mm WT ^^ FH ^ # IwI Iwl IM EH I
On Wednesday night the
Civic Association of Beth-page
held an open forum
meeting with Grumman
respresentatives Bill Steenson and
Jack Carroll to inform residents of the
Grumman 'Sterling Center' proposal
which The Bethpage Tribune reported
on in our last edition. The hotel/
office/retail center which would
occupy the 200 acre plot Grumman
is seeking to develop, caused quite a
controversy with the two hundred plus
Bethpage residents in attendance at
the meeting which was held at Beth­page
High School.
Following Grumman's presentation
the residents voiced their opinions and
questions. Their primary concerns
were traffic and safety, retail space and
the effect on property values and the
quality of life in Bethpage. The
following questions and concerns were
addressed at the meeting.
TRAFFIC:
RESIDENT: 1 have a problem cross­ing
Cherry Avenue now, between the
hours 8:00a.m. and 9:00 a.m., I can't
make a left, turn from Silber Avenue,
on to Cherry Avenue I have to go
down Caffery to catch the light and
at 4:00 p.m. when I have to pick up
my kids at the junior high I can't even
make the left at the light because
Grummanites block the street. I won't
let my kids even cross the street on
foot. How will 14,000 more cars help
the situation?
STEENSON: It will increase traffic
and it is a consideration to be
addressed. However the immediate
impact will be less cars. By closing
the runway and related facilities less
Grummanites will be coming to
Bethpage giving us more time to look
into the problem. Please remember in
1%8 we had the same number of cars.
RESIDENT: In 1968 1 had to take
my children off my street, because the
side streets were being used as short
cuts to avoid traffic.
RESIDENT: Presently at 3:30 to 4:00
you take your life in your hands, now
double the number of cars coming
through Bethpage and the roads will
be impossible
RESIDENT: Remember the high
school student who was seriously
by Linda Antonelli
injured a few years ago. What does
it take to make people realize that
these roads are already overcrowded?
RESIDENT: You mentioned that
you would be putting in underground
parking and other related facilities.
How much excavation will be
necessary.
STEENSON: Idon't know.
RESIDENT: How will we live with
sand trucks running up and down our
streets starting at 6 a.m.
R£S^B^]ENT^^iow_wj^ p^^
be able to study with the noise and'
distraction of 15 years of ongoing
construction, they will not be able to
close the school windows in the
summer time and our schools are not
air conditioned.
RESIDENT: How will you protect
the neighboring homes from the noise
of construction? Have you provided
for buffers in your plan?
STEENSON: Grumman has been
building continuosly over the years
without burdening the community. In
fact we recently erected a 320,000 sq.
ft. building in one year. This would
approximate the building rate of
Sterling Center
PROPERTY VALUES
RESIDENT: Granted you have
shown us the esthetic rendition of your
complex, aside from this in what way
will it benefit the homeowners in the
community?
RESIDENT: Atlantic City residents
were told how their property values
would increase with the develop.m.ent
of hotels and casinos, however the
property surrounding the casinos is a
virtual slum. Will Sterling Center
become an oasis and Bethpage a
desert?
STEENSON: I understand your con­cerns,
we think the center is better than
having the existing runway. We have
to do something with the property and
I will not kid you by saying that we
do not want to make money. Of course
we do. We think the center will also
attract the caliber of employee that
we need to insure the existance of our
plant. A similar development in Texas
as well as Baltimore was followed by
housing developments close to the
centers. People want to live by these
complexes.
RESIDENT: How can you say that
a 12 story hotel will increase the
property value of my 20 foot home
1 block away? I say it will destroy it.
STEENSON: Other role models
which we have observed have proven
to be beneficial to the surrounding
community. I think it will have a
similar effect here in Bethpage.
RESIDENT: Isn't it true that special
permits and variances have to be
granted by the Town of Oyster Bay
in order to erect a building over 50
ft. tali? Aside from the 150 ft. hotel,
what are the heights of the other
buildings which you are requesting?
STEENSON: Yes, and we have filed
(Continued on page 4)
JTM. niSt
rendering
of Grumman's
'Sterling Center':
Gem of an idea,
or a tarnisliing
urden to BethpagteT
JiJ^lK ROBBERY TO PAY RENT
by Uadft AntpnellS
Charles Contey, a Jlethpage tps^ hank who fit descriptiaii ot the
<l«wit,claiim)»g.tabemmpl«t^ subject. She chased him on foot,
m^iperateiieexl of money, attempted cai^Died the assailant and leturoed
t<|biir|Mz«tHeBa^BaiiKio<»M him to tbe fwnic. After the iavestiga-on
St«wait Aveaiie.Jn Beflypi^. At tlon ai tiie aoene. the SMII^ was
approximately 10:40 a.m- o» arrested.
November 28, Coi^ 36. of 18B Contey has been chared with
AlNr«^a.ettier<^tb«:EmptreBiuili: robbery fust^ksgnae. He wasaira^ned
wearing a ski maslfrfm^ in posieasmn in Uti Mtiifit Coiiift in Hempstead
of.a^hand gun. He ^ppt acbe^ Bank yosteiday mid ^ weapon and cash
iManager, Robert F- ilkaer and ^mamn^mm^m^mmmi,
demanded that he tSI h» plastic, upon his eaj^m;^ C^iky stated
bag with monesf.r He * told4he thfithoJ«n»fec£itl|yt^
man««er.tjtbat he |u»dhp{ i a^bom^)' ai^mi^wpyi^mni aod tfaalJte was
jQ»^ae;<lfl^wa8iabii»^uf ««.#ieb^ k4t«9|i«arat«^nB$d of casli in oisder to
^ylS^oifiy.;^ gfidVtb^ IbMil wuh.,payht(imnt.
)^0'^imm* il%t^itaMffpflr,w^ V^ pm dmstomers and five Bank
^^' pe^-10 tfir «^il^ip0{iil a eii9K|oyM»weraitttlutrtiatberobbefy