The-Leader_1988-08-25

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Otiielal .
Newspaper
Village of
Freeport
•
Fre'eporl
School Oislrici
•
Baldwin
School DiSlricI
FREEPORT
BAIDWM lumR 54th YEAR, NO. 34 FREEPORT, NEW YORK THURSDAY. AUGUST 25. 1988 PRICE 2 5 * PER COPY
Baldwin tax down
Baldwin School District res­idents
will pay a substantially
lower school tax rate for 1988-89
than was projected in May when
the community voted to approve
the 1988-89 school budget.
In a highly unusual action, the
Board of Education voted at its
August 10 meeting to reduce the
1988-89 school budget by
$180,000 from the budget figure
approved in May. At the same
time, the Board adopted a tax
levy vlhich calls for an average
tax rale increase of $1.65, a dra­matic
drop from the $2.79 pro­jected
in the Spring. '
The unusual move to reduce
the total budget' figure was
prompted by a reduction in rales
for Empire Plan health care pre­miums
and the desire of the
Board to use the reduction as a
means of tax relief for ' the
residents.
Further relief was posuble
because of an increase in the total
assessed valuation in the school
district. Final figures received
from Nassau County show an
increase of $778,267 in assessed
valuation over the 1987 figure -
$244,843 higher than the County
estimated in the Spiii\g.
A higher-than-projected fund
balance from the last school year,
applied to this year's budget, also
contributed to the reduction of
the tax rate increase project id for
1988-89.
• School District officials say
'^^that tax relief is an ongoing goal
' of'the Board of Education and
district adminsitfation and indi­cate
that this reduction is evi­dence
of that serious commit­ment.
SPECIAL
BACK-TO-SCHOOL
ISSUE
FREEPORT KIDS are getting ready for another winning yearl
Lett year'* "Atlantis" team came out on top derigning a mock
lubmarsible veaeel for the Naasau County Odyssey of the Mind
Conteet. For more school coverege see inside.
More parking for
Freepcrt?
seepages
Baldwin's
educators
seepages
• ' . . • , • Water Works project awaits approval
by Amy J. Vernon
Gary Melius might know soon
whether or not he canconvert the
old Brooklyn Water Works
building in Freeport into 48 con­dominium
apartmeiits.
Mr. Melius, a Long Island,
d|;veloper, is the owner of the
building, which was swept with a
flre in May. He has had plans to
turn the building into condos for
some time now, but he has been
waiting for the proper approvals
from various Nassau County
Departments atid the'.Village of
Freeport.
And he's tired of waiting.
"We've gotten no cooperation at
all, from the Village on down," he
said. •
The Najsau County Depart­ment
of Public Works and
Department of Health tiave to
approve the project before the
Village can, so a hearing in front .
of the Village Planning Board
was postponed in January until
the departments issued their
approvals:
if Mr. Melius cannot.obtain
them before September 2, the Vil­lage
will probably postpone the
hearing, which is scheduled for
September 22 at 7:30 p.m. -
"The Village is in favor of this
. project," said William Glacken,
the Village counsel.'"We've been
wailing for him.''
Mr. Melius said that he hasnit
felt that the Village is on his side.
"1 doni know if it's worth it,"
he said. "It's the worst project I've
ever gotten into, with the
approvals."
' If he doesn't gel the County
approvals soon, he's pot sure
what he will do.
"I'm thinking of just abandon­ing
the project."
Boatowners protesting eviction get temporary injunction
' by Mara Zeldman
Boatowners of about SO boats
at the Harbour Point Marina
breathed a niomentary. sigh of
reliefafterthey obtained a tem­porary
injunction that prohibited
the owners of the tnarina from
evicting them before their leases
expire. ' >
' The owners of Harbour Point
Racquet and Yacht Club had
planned, to evict the residents bii
August iZI.
They plan to sell the area to
Darren EnterpriMs - of Great
Neck for development as a con-doininium
complex. '
Worldwide M&nagement,
' operators of the marina for Har­bour
Point, told the residents ~
if they did not sign an agreer^ent
to remove their boats by tW end
of the lioonth to anotlierjakrina
they would cut power and water
supply and tow the boats away.
Tbe State Supreme Court
. issued the injunction on August
18 that has bought the boat-owiiers
more tin^e. The case
comes, before the Court on Sep­tember
I.
Residents who were available •
for comment said they were
angered at what they felt was
unfair treatment on the part of
the mana^menti They said they
had paid for rent and electricity
through November, but the man­agement
had not offered them
any monetary reimbursement.
Worldwide Mahagiement did
not return phone calls for com­ment.
Their marina offvce w-as
close'd last Thursday and Friday.
The management has offered
relocation at the Commodore
Fishing'Station in Island Park.
Donald Popella, spokesperson
for the tenants, said he thought
this would be an unequal trade.
He said that the Island Park'mar-ina
was not designed to accom­modate
the 40- and 50-foot boats
of many of the marina residents.
He uid the water is too shallow.
Plus, he said, the ramps are fal­ling
apart and it could be uiuafe
for people to walk there.
' Resident Brian Clyde said that
the Island Park marina lacks the
power supply of Harbour Point.
Two basic appliances such as
refrigerator and a hot water
heater could not be run at the.
same time.
Mr. Pbpella said the manage­ment
has tised intimidation tac­tics
to try to scare the people out
of the marina. The agreement the
management wanted the tenants
to sign stated that a resident
whose boat or barge was not
removed by the eiid of the month
would have to pay SlOO per day
' for storage. It also said that
Worldwide would move the boat
to another marina at the owner's
expense.
Some people signed i^ because
they thought they had no choice;
they felt coerced, Mr. Popella
said. .
He also said that on Tuesday,
. August 16, the management
towed two seemingly abandoned
' . ,. (continued on page 20)
SPOKESPERSON for tenants. Donald Popella aboard a barge
that was towed f » the Comtiiodore Fishing Sutlon In Island
Park. . • ~ - . . .