Community Corner

City to Refurbish County-Owned Parking Malls

Council president raises concerns over Nassau's finances before entering municipal cooperation agreement to fund project.

Concern with Nassau County's troubled finances preceded the City Council's vote on Tuesday to approve designs for reconstruction of two parking malls on East Park Avenue.

The city entered into a $80,500 contract with the Melville-based RBA Group to redesign two county-owned parking malls, one between Long Beach Boulevard and Monroe Boulevard; the other at Neptune Boulevard and Roosevelt Boulevard.

City Manager Charles Theofan said Long Beach would enter a municipal cooperation agreement with the county in order for the city to be reimbursed for both the designs and the reconstruction costs.

Council President Thomas Sofield Jr. asked Theofan if the county could lay out the money first, expressing concern that the inter-municipal agreement my not come to pass.  

"I just think we're putting the cart way before the horse on this, and that we're going to spend our money and the county is going to turn around and say, 'Sorry, we're having financial difficulties, you're on your own, Long Beach,'" Sofield said.

The city is trying to expedite the project, particularly since the mall between Long Beach and Monroe boulevards "is in a horrendous state of disrepair," Theofan said, and having the county pay up front may delay the project by four months, whereas if the city goes forward now the construction could start by next spring.

Theofan assured the council president that when city and county officials had met, County Executive Ed Mangano told him that the project had already been approved as a line item in the county's capital plan for 2011-2014.

"I absolutely believe, based on our conversations with the county attorney, the county executive and our county legislator, that there is no question in my mind that the funds will be there," Theofan said, adding that he will discuss the matter further when the two sides meet to negotiate the agreement in coming weeks.  

Nassau County Legislator Denise Ford (R-Long Beach) said she understands people are concerned about the county's solvency, but that she would definitely hold off on the project if there was any danger that the funding would be unavailable. "I'm confident that the money is there and that mall will be redone," Ford said.

Ford noted that rebuilding the Long Beach-Monroe mall is a priority, since it is in greater disrepair. "That money has been set aside, it's in the capital plan, it's been voted on, and I think that we may be looking to the next capital plan to increase the funding," she said. "But the money is there."

Council member John McLaughlin asked Theofan if the city could benefit from taking ownership of the county properties, but the city manager said that there was none.  

"We will agree that we will maintain them in terms of cleaning them and snow removal," Theofan said. " … The reality is we don't want to burden the city with costs 15 to 20 years from now."

Council member Len Torres said that he once witnessed a child fall due to the potholes in the parking mall and questioned if the city is liable in injury cases. Corporation Counsel Corey Klein said that the responsibility lies with the county.


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