BY JOSEPH D’ANDREA
After several months of refining their six-month building moratorium law, the Village of Manorhaven’s Board of Trustees unanimously carried the local law, while further discussing related details during their meeting Jan. 25.
A Port Washington resident’s question prompted the board to give further clarification about the law, in which the board stated that pending applications already made for building permits will not be blocked by the moratorium.
Having first approved the moratorium on Oct. 26, the board of trustees had voted to revoke the law only a month later. This was a change cited to the board’s initiative to add a fee structure for permits and other fees and adjustments. Unlike previous meetings in which the moratorium was on the agenda for the evening, no public comments arose in opposition to any parts of the law.
Responding to another resident’s question, Mayor John Popeleski confirmed that the matter of Matinecock Avenue—a development site on the Port Washington waterfront—would be included in the moratorium. As for the matter itself, a lack of documents being submitted led to the board adjourning the matter to their Feb. 22 meeting, in order to “give the applicant ample time to complete the required submission and mailing.”
The nine resolutions on the board’s meeting agenda were all passed unanimously, including a resolution authorizing the mayor and the board of trustees to enter into a contract with Ronkonkoma-based Cassone Leasing regarding an office modular unit.
The meeting agenda reads: “[It is in the best interests of the Manorhaven residents] for the amount of $18,624.00 to purchase at said price the 8 x 25 office modular unit for the existing employees to perform their work, labor and services and to maintain their equipment, boots, garments, etc., which can be re-sold at a later date; and be it further resolved, that this Resolution shall take effect immediately.”
A resident’s comment referenced the village’s modular unit, to which Popeleski said: “[The modular unit is] for the Department of Public Works—it’s going to have a bathroom in it, lockers are going in there, and it’ll basically be their place to go for lunch and change for work. It’ll be heated and air conditioned.”
During the meeting, Popeleski also made a point to briefly address community safety protocols by emphasizing that Manorhaven residents who are not already enrolled in the notification system CodeRED should do so. CodeRED alerts residents of community emergencies such as evacuation notices, missing child reports, and especially important during this time of the year, storms and blizzards.
“So far, we’ve been fortunate in regards to snow—we haven’t had any,” Popeleski said. “It looked like we were going to get something today but it didn’t happen, and all the parking rules are still in effect.”
Popeleski continued, ending this portion of the meeting by reiterating: “I can’t stress it enough: if you’re not signed up for CodeRED, please sign up.”
The board also highlighted the Village of Manorhaven’s upcoming events at the tail end of the meeting, which include the Have a Heart Food Drive for Port Washington’s Our Lady of Fatima Pantry, taking place Feb. 14 through Friday, Feb. 17.
