Catching Up on Recent Lighthouse News

Blogger's Note: 38 days and still no apology from Joe Mondello. Chairman, we haven't forgotten.

As the gratuitous John Tavares picture undoubtedly reminds us, it's been an eventful few days in Islanders Country. More than that, it has been a busy few days in Lighthouse Country. Let's quickly run down some of the things that may have been lost in the wall-to-wall coverage of the NHL Draft, Michael Jackson's death, or any of the other large news stories floating around.

Completeness Hearing - What to Expect

As last week's piece said, the Town of Hempstead has officially scheduled a Completeness Hearing for Tuesday, July 7, at 10:30 AM. At this meeting, the Town Board will vote on whether the Draft Generic Environmental Impact Statement (DGEIS) is suitably complete to merit a move into public comments. If the vote is successful, public hearings will be conducted anywhere from 22-30 days after that date.

We knew this already, and now let's discuss what to expect at this hearing. This will be in the context of a regular Town Board meeting, like the big meeting on February 24, so expect to deal with a few non-Lighthouse things first. The Town Board will vote on a few smaller issues around the Town (this could take over an hour), and then they will push the Lighthouse vote to the end. At that point, the public can speak on the Lighthouse issue, and then the Town Board (of which Kate Murray is 1 vote) will render a decision.

Aside from the nuts and bolts, the political implications are interesting. First of all - will Kate Murray personally attend this meeting, or will she be "on vacation" again? I'm not trying to be snarky; merely pointing out that I hope this new attendance policy extends to meetings sponsored by Ms. Murray's own government

Second of all - will the Town of Hempstead follow through on the recent momentum and approve the move into public comments? Given the history of this, I think it would be a collossally stupid mistake for the Town of Hempstead to hold up the DGEIS, but there could be an opening to do so. Remember, the wording in SEQRA is very ambiguous - the Lead Agency (TOH) only needs to declare that the DGEIS is "suitable for public review" - and no guidelines are given. This, plus the recent thawing of relations, could provide some political cover to continue the stall game. They could point to "concerns" being raised by Frederick P. Clark, the Town's environmental consultants (and political donors to Kate Murray's campaign). They could also use other bodies - like the State - as a reason for holding up the process in order to "make sure everyone is on the same page."

We must show the same numbers at this meeting that we have at previous meetings, and we must make very clear that we want the Lighthouse to move into public comments. Remember, SEQRA, as written, specifies that public comments, not private negotiations, should carry the most weight when drafting a Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS). That, to me, means that the process should be put in public comments as soon as possible, and the public's issues should be combined with the Lead Agency's issues when formulating the final scope and EIS.

If you forced me to project what would happen, I think we will see the move into public comments approved. In my view, the Town of Hempstead simply has too much goodwill riding on this to not vote in favor of moving forward. Either way, we will find out in a little less than 8 days at Town Hall.

Chuck Schumer Endorses the Lighthouse

This is interesting. A top aide to Sen. Chuck Schumer told me at the Nassau Democratic Convention that the Senator would not endorse the project before the "key moment" because he wanted to avoid calcifying the Lighthouse as a Republican vs. Democrat issue. Apparently, the recent positive move was what the Senator needed, as he whole-heartedly endorsed the Lighthouse earlier today.

The Senator promised to seek millions in federal infrastructure money to improve roads and traffic flow around the site, on roads such as Hempstead Turnpike, the Meadowbrook Parkway, Charles Lindbergh Boulevard, and Earl Ovington Boulevard (we will publish a map of this at a later date for those not familiar with the area). It is important to note that this is not stimulus funds; this is part of a $400 billion transportation bill that passes Congress every 5 years. Rep. Jim Oberstar (D-MN), Chairman of the House Transportation Committee, has begun to prepare the bill, and it is important to get all requests in now because the money will otherwise not be available until the 2015 bill.

This is an interesting move at this stage of the Lighthouse process, because, if the aide's words are still correct, Sen. Schumer believes we have reached a "key moment" in the Lighthouse process. He may be following up the good faith shown by the Town of Hempstead with a positive gesture of his own to continue momentum on this important project. It's also a sign that politicians are noticing our nascent movement, and we cannot afford to let up the fight now.

I did not have the opportunity to do this today, but I do plan to seek comment from Sen. Schumer's office on this latest development. I also plan to reach out to Rep. Oberstar's office to help give you a better understanding of this transportation bill.

UPDATE: Thanks to readers BR and Rob. Apparently I missed this when first reading the news, but both Kate Murray and Tom Suozzi were present at Sen. Schumer's announcement of support. This can only be a good sign for future cooperation, especially since it achieved the Senator's goal of avoiding partisanship. This is a great time to be optimistic, but we must still remember that these gestures can't take the place of action.

The Tavares Effect

As I said to MW147 in the last thread, I do not think the drafting of John Tavares will directly impact the Lighthouse process. However, I do concede that a renewed interest in the Islanders could easily boost awareness of and interest in the Lighthouse Project. I hope all of you will talk to your friends and neighbors in an attempt to get them to attend the upcoming meetings. Our future is too important to leave to chance, and sadly an 18-year-old hockey player cannot do this work for us.

A Wang Update? No.

Some readers have emailed me asking about Charles Wang's supposed statements about moving the team, made to Andy Strickland of Hockeybuzz. Andy Strickland is a good writer, and I would never accuse him of anything untoward. However, I believe this is an issue of a writer who is not completely familiar with the issue misinterpreting.

As it stands, Charles Wang has said he will "explore other options" if he does not have "certainty" (approval of re-zoning) by October 3 (something that even some Lighthouse consultants have conceded is highly unlikely). I think he said this same thing to Mr. Strickland, and I hope the recent positive momentum can quell any talk about ultimatums or deadlines for now.

Bottom Line

We are moving into a critical point for the Lighthouse Project. I hope the summer heat does not dampen our resolve or our spirit moving forward. Let's continue to lead the way for our local politicians and fight for our home as it should be.

Please share your thoughts in comments. Petition. Email Me. Follow me on Twitter.

Hub vs. Lighthouse

Legis. Dave Denenberg (D-Merrick) of Nassau County made waves at the Planning Commission meeting this past Thursday by seeming to announce a commitment to tie a light rail project that so frightened Garden City into the Lighthouse plan. BD Gallof of Islanders Independent was at the meeting, providing both a synopsis and, today, analysis of the light rail issue.

Some people have become confused, since I've said repeatedly that no mass transit solution is currently included within the Lighthouse plans. In addition, the timing could not have been worse, as this apparent misstep comes on the heels of positive noises from the Town of Hempstead. Therefore, I thought it would help to clear up a few potentially confusing points.

Calling a Hub a Lighthouse

First of all, the Hub and the Lighthouse are not the same thing. The Hub is a decades-old plan by the Nassau County government to provide a destination point in the central part of the county. This area includes the proposed Lighthouse site, Museum Row, Hofstra University, Nassau Community College, Roosevelt Field Mall, and the Source, in an area that encompasses parts of Hempstead, Uniondale, East Meadow, Garden City, and Westbury.

This area has been considered the "crown jewel" of Nassau County ever since the local government acquired control of the vast Mitchel Field complex from the United States Air Force in June 1961. The complex includes the museums, colleges, county office buildings, and the proposed Lighthouse site.

The Lighthouse Project won an RFP put out for re-development of the county-owned Coliseum property. Tom Suozzi includes the Lighthouse in his overall vision for The Hub, but the two are not the same project.

Mr. Denenberg was proposing a light rail system as part of the Hub, not the Lighthouse, and any plan is still in the very early planning stages. However, many people view the two projects as the same thing, so this could in some instances cause issues for the Lighthouse, as we will see...

Mass Transit Options

Nassau County has tried for years, if not decades, to implement a comprehensive mass transit solution for the Hub site. The goal has always been for residents to park their cars in one location and be able to access all other locations, such as the malls and museums, without having to drive. I remember watching an Islanders game somewhere around 1997 where Howie Rose was discussing a monorail to link these sites, so this debate is not new.

I understand the need to get the lion's share (no pun intended) of work done at this time. Nassau County has proposed many other transportation solutions to the Hub project, but never have been able to get out of the study phase. Rep. Jim Oberstar (D-MN) and the House Transportation Committee will soon pass a five-year infrastructure spending bill, so it is important for Nassau County to have its house in order to seek some of the expected $500 billion bill. However, I question the timing of this in relation to the Lighthouse. This could help to vindicate the paranoia from some residents, and it could cause opposition to rise.

It could be that Nassau County was caught between a rock and a hard place - do nothing, and risk losing out on infrastructure spending for 5 years, or take some action and risk inadvertently harming the Lighthouse. Time will tell if any harm has actually been done.

Related to the Lighthouse

As I have said many times, the Lighthouse deliberately did not include a specific mass transit solution in its plan. They only promised to provide a trolley bus around the site to bridge the gap from initial construction to the completion of mass transit. I support this decision, because, as I've said, tying the Lighthouse to a specific idea would create the illusion that the project could not survive without that particular solution.

The Lighthouse and the County are working on all potential options to fulfill Tom Suozzi's mandate: that someone could get from the Mineola train station to the Lighthouse site without needing to take a car. Many options have been discussed, including Bus Rapid Transit vehicles with special censors to govern traffic lights in their favor. I have also heard from senior Lighthouse officials that they have included easements for light rail throughout the site in the event that the government decides to go that way.

This is important and necessary work, but, as you'll see, pushing a formal plan at this stage could cause more harm than good.

Bottom Line

A mass transit solution for the Lighthouse site will be necessary to help mitigate any increases in traffic. Nobody is debating that, and I am glad the Nassau Legislature is thinking about potential mass transit options. Legis. Denenberg was speaking as the chairman of the Legislature's planning committee, and he had every right to do so.

However, public perception is important. Many residents of Garden City were in a lather over this light rail idea before it was formally on the table, and many based their entire opposition to the Lighthouse around this singular issue. Bringing this up now, while not out of bounds, was in my opinion an unnecessary detour from the important work that remains. It will only serve to gin up opposition and could at some later point strangle the debate.

Mass transit for the Lighthouse site is both necessary and, in my view, inevitable. However, I believe we should concentrate on getting the Lighthouse approved before wading into another potentially controversial issue. Let's remember, the Lighthouse is scheduled to be built over 10 years, with the first housing and commercial units scheduled to open somewhere around 2015.

I hope for the sake of this project that we do not hear more about mass transit for the Hub before final approval. All options were required to be studied as part of SEQR, and it could result in citizens opposing the Lighthouse only because they oppose the specific mass transit idea. If we get bogged down in petty nonsense like the distance of a light rail from housing or the time a bus would take to get to the Lighthouse from Mineola, we distract from the real work that has to be done, and Long Island loses.

Coming Tomorrow: A Special Comment about the Lighthouse and suburban life.

Please share your thoughts in comments. Petition. Email Me. Follow me on Twitter.

Go Big Or Go Home

Compromise is not inherently a bad thing. In many instances, a compromise could create a better solution than either original option. However, on Long Island, compromise can be death to many well-intentioned building projects, and we need to make sure the same does not happen with the Lighthouse.

Nassau Coliseum could have been much more than it is. When the arena was originally on the drawing board, the Nickerson administration proposed a 20,000 seat arena to compete directly with Madison Square Garden, that arena that had the grace to declare itself "The World's Most Famous Arena." In fact, former Islanders PR man Chris Botta revealed on his weekly radio show just yesterday that there were also plans to extend the Long Island Rail Road from Westbury to an underground station on the Coliseum site. The "secret stairs" between the Coliseum and the Marriott, thought to be a superfluous entrance to the Coliseum Expo Hall, were actually meant to be the entrance to that train station.

This plan was loaded with vision and foresight, but sadly it was not meant to be. Nassau Coliseum was constructed as a "compromise" between the large arena advocates and those who thought it was too "City" and wanted a 10,000 seat arena instead. The LIRR spur was also killed, since in the 1970's the train was considered the transportation of the past.

As a result of this compromise and this failure to make a bold decision, we stand here today with a decaying anachronism that does not have the modern facilities or transportation access that is now expected in a multipurpose arena. It is not difficult to imagine how radically different this discussion would be if the facility was larger with more amenities and mass transit access.

Hopefully, leaders in the Town of Hempstead can follow Nassau County's lead in taking the proper lessons from history. The Lighthouse Project seeks to correct many of the mistakes made almost 40 years ago, and it must be allowed to go forward without major concessions. Failure to capitalize on this momentum could lead to another half-baked "solution" that must be re-addressed in 10-15 years rather than 30-40.

The title of this post says it all, and it should be a blueprint for the Town of Hempstead with the Lighthouse Project: Go Big or Go Home. A watered-down development will only create more issues down the road; you must allow this project to unlock its true potential and bring Long Island into a new generation.

As always, don't forget to Sign the Petition and pass it on to your friends and family.