_________ Oceanside/island park ________
HERALD VoL. 59 No. 48
Harlem Wizards visit oceanside
Come see ‘The Nutcracker’
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NoVEMBER 21 - 27, 2024
$1.00
O’Side’s Rockette hits the NYC stage By KEPHERD DANIEL kdaniel@liherald.com
Courtesy MSG Entertainment
The holiday season brings many annual traditions, and for 19 dazzling seasons, Oceanside resident Tara Tubridy has graced the stage as a member of the Radio City Rockettes, performing in the worldrenowned Christmas Spectacular. The Christmas Spectacular, starring the Rockettes, is an annual holiday musical stage show presented at Radio City Music Hall in New York City. The 90-minute show features more than 140 performers and an original musical score, combining singing, dancing and humor
Tara Tubridy, of Oceanside, has performed as a member of the Rockettes at Radio City Music Hall for nearly 20 years.
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Island Park debates tax break for Ocean Avenue Marina project By KEPHERD DANIEL kdaniel@liherald.com
Island Park residents, school district officials, and civic leaders are raising concerns over a proposed 20-year payment in lieu of taxes, or PILOT, agreement with the developers of the Ocean Avenue Marina project. The plan to transform a 3.58-acre site on Waterfront Boulevard into a 117-unit luxury apartment complex is being touted by its developers as a much-needed boost to the local housing market. Opponents argue, however, that it will place an undue tax burden on residents. John Vitale, a longtime
developer in Island Park, plans to replace his now-closed Bridgeview Yacht Club and Loft catering hall with the waterfront complex. Vitale owns 10 acres of land at the southern tip of Island Park, just north of the Long Beach Bridge, where he once operated several restaurants, including Paddy McGee’s and Coyote Grill, which were decimated by Hurricane Sandy in 2012. Vitale also owns the Barnum Landing shopping center, and is a coowner of the seafood restaurant Jordan Lobster Farms. The proposed complex would comprise a four-story building with 74 one-bedroom and 43 two-bedroom apart-
ments, as well as amenities including a pool, clubroom and garage parking. Vitale asserts that the project aligns with the community’s need for transitoriented housing to attract young professionals and downsizing retirees. His development company, Ocean Avenue Marina Inc., is seeking financial assistance from the Town of Hempstead Industrial Development Agency with a 20-year PILOT agreement. The project would be exempted from standard property taxes, and instead make f i x e d p ay m e n t s ove r t wo decades. The proposal deviates from the IDA’s usual 10-year tax-abatement policy, which
has prompted additional scrutiny. Island Park residents and institutions are still reeling from the financial fallout from the Long Island Power Authority tax settlement in 2022, which s i g n i f i c a n t ly re d u c e d t h e assessed value of the E.F. Barrett Power Plant, forcing taxpayers to make up the shortfall in property tax revenue. Many
residents, particularly seniors, say they are already struggling to pay their taxes. Island Park School District officials have also voiced concer ns about depleting reserves to maintain educational programs. The LIPA settlement has already reduced the district’s tax base by over 45 percent. Schools Superintendent VinCOnTinued On page 5