Statement On Low-Income Housing
In response to comments made
at the recent Community
Development public hearings
regarding the need for additional
low-income housing in the
Village. Mayor William White
has issued the following
statement.
"My position on this matter, I
feel, reflects that of the vast
majority of Freeport residents
and the majority view on the
Village Board. That position is
that this Village has done more
than its share in correcting the
social ills of Long Island. We
were pioneers in the area of low-income
housing with the con-struction
of the Moxie Rigby
Apartments, the first such
complex on Long Island. With the
recent completion of the Liberty
Park Apartments, Freeport has
more public housing units than
any other village in the State and
construction of the senior citizen
apartments on North Main
Street, to complement the
apartments already existing on
South Main Street, will begin
shortly.
"Aside from providing decent,
low-cost housing for our less
affluent neighbors, we have
sought to be of assistance in other
ways. Freeport was the first
village in the State to have a
Human Relations Commission.
We welcomed the Nassau County
Health Center to the Village as
well as the Freeport Cooperative
Service Center which, while
projected to serve only residents,
in reality aids others as well.
Each year the municipal budget
has allocated funds for the
Freeport Economic Opportunity
Commission and we have gone to
the aid of the Family Services
Association when its programs
have been endangered.
"Our first year plans under the
federal funding reflect our desire
to provide housing as well as
develop the total community for
the benefit of all our populace.
The bringing in of businesses and
developers to the North Main
Street area is not an aim to
simply 'beautify' that corridor
but to bring employment op-portunities
to residents and in-crease
our tax base. The con-struction
of a pedestrian mall has
a similar goal as will the future
development of our irreplaceable
waterfront. These programs will
benefit lower income and
unemployed residents by
boosting the Village economy.
"The Homesteading program
directly approaches the problem
of housing. It will afford persons
of moderate income an op-portunity
to accomplish a dream
that they might never had any
hopes of. that of becoming a
homeowner. To those who claim
we are not meeting the intent of
the federal act in the housing
area, I can only point out that the
U.S. Housing and Urban
Development office in
Washington was suf-ficiently
impressed with our
Homesteading plans to choose
Freeport as the only village, and
one of only 22 municipalities
throughout the country, to
receive HUD-held homes at no
cost and $100.000 in loan monies.
"It is indeed true that our
three-year application to HUD
stipulates that we will landbank
for 90 housing units in the cleared
urban renewal area known as
Bennington Park. That has been
done. It is also true that the ap-plication
clearly states that the
units will only be built 'if
necessary for relocation.' This
necessity has not arisen and may
not arise as relocation may be
accomplished through existing
housing or through relocation
benefits. We have found in the
past that there are many persons
who would rather find and choose
their own apartments, in
Freeport or' elsewhere, and
utilize the relocation funds
provided for moving and other
expenses. The law does not force
any individual to move into a
housing project, as some
speakers at the public hearings
seemed to imply.
"Every Freeporter of every
income bracket is finding it rough
going in these economically
depressed times. Our federal
grant of $5.3 million over five
years must be spent wisely if we
and our community are to
weather such periods and ex-perience
health growth in the
future."
"40,000 Pairs Of
Eyes" Nab Solicitor
Two alert Freeporters grew
suspicious recently when their
doorbell was rung by teenagers
selling candy door-to-door for the
benefit of S.E.L.F. A call to the
desk at Freeport Police
Headquarters brought a patrol
car into the southwest area.
Police Officer Carmine
Napolitanb quickly found two
teenagers and spotted an adult,
Steve Cianarelli of Nesconset,
who had been previously warned
that it is illegal to solicit door-to-door
in the Village. After issuing
a summons to Cianarelli, the
Police Officer brought him, and a
total of four youngsters, all Rock-ville
Centre residents, to Police
Headquarters where Associate
Village Justice Charles
Mehrmann was called in. After a
hearing, during which Cianarelli
pled guilty. Judge Mehrmann
imposed a $200 fine.
Police Chief Anthony Elar
states that, "This is a good
example of how our '40,000 Pairs
of Eyes' program works for the
benefit of the community. This
S.E.L.F. group was found to have
a great deal of cash, presumably
bilked from Freeport residents.
Because two residents were
concerned about their neighbors
and called the Police, many
others were saved from being
pestered and parting with their
hard earned money."
Chief Elar points out that only
c h a r i t a b l e o r g a n i z a t i o n s
recognized as Freeport-based,
i.e. Girl Scouts, Little League.
Freeport Fire Department, are
exempt from the ordinance
p r o h i b i t i n g door-to-door
solicitation.
Job Deadline
iViay 1 is the deadline
for filing applications for
summertime employment
with the Village. Applicants
must be a Freeport resident
and be at least 18 years of
age. Those applying for life
guard positions must hold
certification.
Applications are available
at the Office of the Village
Clerk, 8:30am to 4:30pm,
each business day. No tele-phone
inquiries will be
accepted.
Village
APRIL 1976
News
A PUBLIC INFORMATION BULLETIN OF THE VILLAGE OF FREEPORT
46 NORTH OCEAN AVENUE TELEPHONE FReeport 8-4000 WILLIAM H. WHITE. MAYOR
Public Meetings On The 1st and 3rd Mondays Of The Month. At 9:00 P.M.
A Gem Of A Show
The First Annual Freeport'
Gem and Mineral Show will be
held. Saturday and Sunday. May
15 and 16. at the. Freeport
Recreation Center. 130 East
Merrick Road. The Show will run
10 am to 8 pm on Saturday and
from 10 am to 6 pm on Sunday.
Admission will be $1 for adults
and 25<? for children. The charge
does not include use of the
Center's Health Wing. Discount
Ticket holders mav enter the
Show at no cost.
Produced by Facet
Recreational'"" Shows'" in
cooperation with the Recreation
Department, the emphasis of the
Show will be on the recreational
values of the gem and mineral
hobby. Featured will be "light
shows" depicting the beauty of
various stones and gems, and a
special "sand pile" which will be
salted with minerals, crystals
and tumbled polished stones
allowing youngsters to find the
beginning of their own collection.
Residents are encouraged to
bring their own stones to discuss
them with the graduate
gemologist who will be on hand.
Instruction will be given on
cutting, polishing and faceting
with gemstones and suggested
field trip maps distributed.
Parking will be available at the
Freeport Stadium as well as on
the grounds of the Center. Only
the Center's Adult Lounge and
gymnasium will be closed during
the Show.
- NOTICE -
ELECTRIC CONSUMER DEPOSITS
EFFECTIVE MAY 1, 1976 IN ACCORDANCE WITH SECTION 120 OF
THE PUBLIC SERVICE LAW OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK AND VILLAGE
OF FREEPORT P.S.C. NO. 8 ELECTRIC SCHEDULE, PARAGRAPH 3 . B . ( 9 ) ,
THE VILLAGE WILL REQUIRE OF CONSUMERS DISCONNECTED FOR NON-PAYMENT
OF ELECTRIC BILLS, IN ADDITION TO PAYMENT FOR SERVICES
RENDERED, A TWO-MONTH DEPOSIT TO INSURE PAYMENT OF BILLS BEFORE
RESTORATION OF SERVICE. SAID DEPOSITS WILL CARRY SIMPLE
INTEREST AT RATE PRESCRIBED BY THE PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION.
Trustees: Thomas J. Lovenage. Ralph P. Franco. Dorothy Storm. Wayne Jordan
Village Clerk: Thomas DeVincenzo-Treasurer: James J- Lyons - Counsel: Oakley Gentry Jr.
A Life Saver
Deputy Mayor Ralph Franco (center) presents a Certi-ficate
of Appreciation from the Freeport Board of Trustees
to Police Officer Martin Condon at a recent public Board
meeting. The member of the Freeport Police Department
was cited for the saving of the life of young Jack Duffy
(left) who collapsed in the street last year, a victim of a
viral heart attack, and was revived by Condon by mouth-to-
mouth resuscitation.
Homesteading Guidelines Adopted
The Freeport Board of
Trustees have released the
guidelines underwhich upwards
of 60 presently boarded-iip homes
in the area bounded by the
railroad. Babylon Turnpike, the
northerly Village line and
Wallace Street, will be
rehabilitated and offered to
potential owner-occupants
through the Village's Urban
Homesteading Program utilizing
a portion of the $5.3 million the
Village will receive over a five
year period through the federal
Housing and Community
Development Act. Running
concurrently with the program
will be the U.S. Housing and
Urban Development (HUD)
Homesteading Demonstration
Program for which the Village
received 21 homes at no cost and
$100,000 in ioan monies. The
recently adopted guidelines will
apply to both programs.
All Homesteading properties
will be rehabilitated up to Village
Code standards by a reputable
contractor to be selected through
competitive bidding. AH work
will be inspected by members of
the Village's Building Depart-ment.
The Homestead Agency
(Office of Planning and Com-munity
Development) will work
with the Homesteader in doing
work beyond the minimum
standards. including land-scaping,
maintenance, work-manship
and material selection.
The work must be accomplished
within six months. Low interest
loans will be available.
The price of a Homesteading
house will be based upon the cost
to the Village of acquiring it,
back taxes, any liens and un-collected
bills due on the
property, the cost of the
rehabilitation improvements to
bring the house up to Village
codes, and administrative costs
incurred by the Homesteading
Agency. With write-down funds
available through the federal
programs, the sales prices will be
below market value and low-interest
mortgages will be
available.
The selection of Homesteaders
will begin with the Homesteading
Board which also acts as the
Community Development Task
Force. The members, appointed
by Mayor William White, are
Director of Planning and Com-munity
Development James
Dunne, Superintendent of Public
Works Edwin Prefer. Village
Clerk Thomas DeVincenzo.
Treasurer James Lyons.
Superintendent of Buildings
Louis Bello and Publicity
Director Jean Peters. In the case
of multiple qualified applicants
interested in the same property,
the final determination will be
made by the Board of Trustees by
whatever method deemed
suitable.
To be eligible, an applicant
must be at least 21 years of age
and a citizen of the United States
or has legally declared intentions
to become such. A husband and
wife may be joint applicants
provided one fits the criteria.
While no minimum or maximum
income levels will be set. the
Homesteading Board will look for
employment stability, good
credit rating and the unhindered
financial resources to carry a
mortgage and other expenses
inherent in homeownership.
These facts will be determined
through a second, more in-depth
application and during personal
interviews with the
Homesteading Board. All
qualified applicants will then be
weighed by such factors as
whether they are presently a
resident or working in Freeport
and whether they do not
presently own a home. The Board
must also attempt a reasonable
match between the size of the
applicant's household and the
size of the house in question.
Successful applicants will be
required to pay a $200 binder and
will receive a Conditional Deed in
which it is stipulated that the
Homesteader must reside in the
house for a period of five years
which may be amended for such
reasons as ill health, job transfer,
tragedy, etc. If any breach of
contract occurs during the five
year Homesteading period, the
property will automatically
revert to the Village. The Village
also retains the right to inspect
the property during the period.
After five years the owner may
remain in the property or sell it to
whomever he wants.
The Homesteading Agency will
provide counseling services to
the new home owners, if needed.
The Agency will continue to seek
the advice of the Northeast
Citizens' Committee appointed
by Mayor White to insure the
success of the Homesteading
Program.
Freeport Leads in
Building Activity
A report recently issued by the
Nassau Planning Commission
shows that of all the incorporated
villages in the Towns of Hemp-stead
and Oyster Bay. Freeport
issued more building permits in
1975 for single family homes than
any other. In the Town of North
Hempstead. Old Westbury issued
16 permits, surpassing Freeport
by only one.
Freeport also took the lead
over all villages in Nassau
County in the issuance of building
permits for the construction of
apartment buildings, with a total
of four for 160 separate units. The
Village was also the leader in the
building of industrial facilities
with two such structures, while
only Lynbrook and Westbury had
any activity in that area, with one
building each. The report reflects
the present construction of the
new fire house at Bayview and
Atlantic Avenues.
In releasing the report. Mayor
William White stated. "In the
light of the present economy and
remembering that as a long-established
community we have
little available space left, the fact
that we have seen more building
a c t i v i ty than any other in-corporated
village in the County
is clearly an indication of the
appeal and future potential of the
Village of Freeport. While we. as
a government, have many ex-citing
plans for the next few
years under our Community
Development funding which will
bolster the revitalization of all
areas of the Village, efforts must
also come from the private
sector. Our efforts in the past to
tap that resource have "been
successful in a very difficult
time. Now as our homesteading
program begins and the first
stage of construction toward a
Mall concept is about to be taken,
our efforts to attract new
businesses and developers will be
intensified through advertising,
brochures, exhibitions, direct
mail and personal contact. It is
indeed an exciting time to be a
Freeporter."
SHOP
FREEPORT
Astronaut To Visit
US Air Force Lieutenant Colonel Karol Bobko, a NASA astronaut
assigned to the development of the space shuttle, will be the guest
speaker at the first in a series under the title of "Village Assembly on
Future Priorities" sponsored by the Horizon Program of the Free-port
Bicentennial Committee. The program will be held on May 10,
8pm, in the Freeport High School auditorium. Some 76 Freeport
organizations will be invited to send 13 delegates each to the Assem-bly
which will focus on Freeport's role in the world. Additional
information may be obtained from Robert Raynor, 623-5967, in
the evenings. Plans are being discussed to host Lieutenant Bobko at
a Freeport Chamber of Commerce luncheon on May 10. Watch the
local newspapers for further announcements.
Trip To The Lake
The Freeport Recreation
Department is sponsoring a trip
for adults to The Inn on Lake
Waramaug in New Preston,
Conn., on Thursday June 3. The
fee is $11. which must be handed
in to the Department's office at
the Freeport Recreation Center,
130 East Merrick Road, no later
than Thursday. May 20.
Included in the fee is bus
transportation. lunch. a
Showboat cruise on the lake,
entertainment and snacks going
and coming.
The Recreation Department's
bus will leave the Center at 8 am
on June 3 and return about 7 pm.
All participants must have a
Freeport Activity Card. Advance
reservations may be obtained by
calling 223-8000. ext. 10. Detailed
flyers on the trip will be available
at the Center.
