Here we are in 2018, and the resident parking problems on Welwyn Road caused by Shop Delight’s illegally parked employees are worse than ever — still being completely ignored by our illustrious full-time mayor, her dedicated henchmen, and, of course, code enforcement.
I still have a vivid picture of Great Neck Plaza Deputy Mayor Ted Rosen proudly telling me several months ago how code enforcement issued 200 parking violations to Shop Delight’s large number of illegally parked employees; and when I asked for a time line, how he had to tell me that those 200 tickets were issued over a 10-month period.
Maybe the simplicity of the math —20 tickets per month, fewer than one ticket per day — eluded him for the moment.
Shop Delight’s employee parking violations are rampant and growing worse every day.
For years, residents have been asking Shop Delight management to adhere to the terms of their conditional use permit — as well as to the VGNP Parking Code — by not allowing their employees to illegally usurp large numbers of resident parking spaces on Welwyn Road every day, for more than 12 hours a day, disallowing residents from parking even remotely close to where we live.
For years, Shop Delight management has enabled their employees’ illegal behavior by not creating a single consequence for employee violations of the 3-hour non-resident parking restrictions on the streets surrounding the market.
The following excerpts from Chapter 151 of the Village of Great Neck Plaza Parking Code spell out policy regarding 3-hour restricted non-resident parking regulations:
Chapter 151-2 Unlawful acts.
It is hereby declared to be a violation…for any person or persons with intent to avoid the time limitations for parking of motor vehicles…upon the public streets:
A. To remove or cause to be removed chalk or other markings placed on a motor vehicle’s tires by a police or other governmental officer when such markings were placed to assist in determining the length of time said motor vehicle is parked therein.
B. To remove or cause to be removed a motor vehicle from one space…and to place said motor vehicle in another parking space therein.
Chapter 151-4 Penalties for offenses.
Any person who violates the provisions of this article shall be liable to pay a penalty not to exceed $250 for each such violation.
I wonder what drives Village officials to ignore their own Parking Code by neglecting to enforce it, thus giving Shop Delight every incentive to do as they please.
(By the way, it is interesting to note that village code, Chapter 15, is entitled Code of Ethics.)
I want to thank all of you who have let me know in large numbers that you agree with and appreciate my efforts. However, solutions from the Village have not been forthcoming and will never take place unless each one of you personally contacts our elected officials in the Village of Great Neck Plaza to let them know that their behavior is inadequate and unacceptable, and to insist that they properly address the needs of their constituents.
Village of Great Neck Plaza Contact Info:
Phone: 482-4500; Fax: 482-3503
Mayor Jean Celender: [email protected]
Deputy Mayor Ted Rosen: [email protected]
Joe Diaz, Building Inspector: [email protected]
Mike Sweeney, Commissioner of Public Services: [email protected]
In summation, Shop Delight is a bad neighbor and will continue to be so because they can.
LEVITICUS 19:18 says “You shall love your neighbor as yourself”— a major religious concept related to personal holiness.
Shop Delight most definitely does not love its neighbors; it doesn’t even moderately like us!
Rabbi Hillel says, “Do not do to others what you would not have them do to you. He also says, “What you yourself hate, don’t do to your neighbor. This is the whole law. The rest is commentary. Go and study.”
Perhaps Shop Delight needs to hire a resident melamed — preferably one who can park legally.
Muriel Pfeifer
Village of Neck Plaza
