Serving Port Washington, Manorhaven, Flower Hill, Baxter Estates, Port Washington North, Sands Point
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Friday, June 7, 2024
Vol. 10, No. 23
PPortWashingtonTimes t Washington BLANK SLATE MEDIA June 7, 2024
AINMEN T AND DINING YOUR GUIDE TO THE ARTS, ENTERT60.COM WWW.THEISLAND3
N SUMMtoER CELEBRATIO Cedamarmere host day of the arts CelebraThe 3rd annual Summer the fortion of the Arts at Cedarmere, Bryant mer estate of William Cullen be held on in Roslyn on Saturday, will pm (rain June 8 from 4:30 to 7:00 date, Sunday, June 9th). The event will feature contempomusic, art beat world live dance, rary word, installations, paintings, spoken in the jam and an interactive dance by the sunken garden, all inspired theme “Water”. come Pack a picnic supper and grounds enjoy the beautiful historic and landscape of Cedarmere. and Explore the pond, gardens, over sunset the in take trails, and year’s event Hempstead Harbor. This will premiere new nature-inspired Nancy Brier, works choreographed by by set to a new musical composition Mills Edgar “Bass Monk” Patterson written by and new original poetry senior residents of Sea Cliff. by New site-specific sculptures art John Cino and a water-inspired of Northexhibit by Firefly Studios display. on be port will also Carl Safina, an author, eco-activthe event. ist, and drummer, will host repreTecumseh Ceasar, a cultural will sentative of the Montauketts,wamsing a water song and display pum carvings. and reBring a picnic supper trash as no member to carry out all be available. garbage facilities will Some chairs will be provided. is This family-friendly event from made possible with funds the New York State Council on the Arts and additional support from the Chris Crosby Foundation.
CEDARMORE TO HOST TOWN SAFETY COMMISH SUOZZI PRESSES BORDER DEAL ARTS CELEBRATION HIRE QUESTIONED PAGE 21
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Port North tables Oasis development Village officials face backlash, threat of lawsuit at project’s public hearing BY TAY L O R H E R Z L I C H The Village of Port Washington North board tabled its decision to approve or deny an application by New Oasis Development LLC to use about seven acres of land for a senior living community after public opposition and threat of a lawsuit surfaced at a public hearing Thursday night. The site proposal includes the construction of 44 townhouse units and a clubhouse south of Radcliff Avenue and northwest of Valley Road, located in the village’s apartment zone. All but five of these townhouse properties will be designated senior housing. The five exempt properties can be sold to any buyer on their first sale, and from then on will be senior housing for any future sales. Every seat was filled and some audience members were left standing during the public hearing at Village Hall. Some Port North residents attended the meeting but a large majority of the audience consisted of Port Washington residents from unincorporated areas who said they live closest to where this plan is being proposed. “This is a project that I know some people have some concerns with,” Mayor Robert Weitzner said. “I don’t want anyone here thinking because
you live in the Town of North Hempstead and you don’t vote for myself or trustees, that you feel that you are at a disadvantage. I am assuring you tonight that you are not. You are a part of this process.” But many Port Washington residents in attendance said they felt they were left out of a large part of the process. Many complained that they were not aware of the housing application, which has been in the works for more than a decade, until very recently. The village Planning Board first approved the subdivision of the property in 2008. But this approval was put on hold due to litigation between the adjoining property owner and the village, said Andrea Tsoukalas Curto, a partner at the firm representing Oasis. Since 2008 the housing application approval process has been a slow-moving one, she said. Approvals from the sewer and water district, for example, took time, Tsoukalas Curto said. The village Planning Board recently approved the site plan. It now awaits a decision from the Village Board. Tensions boiled over at the public hearing when Jon Brooks, an enviContinued on Page 35
PHOTO BY CAMERYN OAKES
People walk down the craft fair on lower Main Street for Port Washington’s 32nd-annual Harborfest. See story on page 3.
Serra Provisions pizza oven reopens with permit BY C A M E RY N O A K ES
closing last month. “It feels good,” owner Jesse OlPizza has returned to Manorhav- son said. “Obviously our business en’s Serra Provisions, ending a battle suffered financially from losing the over permits between the Italian es- oven, but we made other adjustments tablishment and the village govern- that now are part of the mix as well.” Serra Provisions shut down its ment that resulted in the pizza oven B L A N K S L AT E M E D I A P R E S E N T S
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LEADERS OF NASSAU COUNTY NETWORKING AWARDS EVENT
pizza oven in April after the village more than a year. Olson decided to close his pizza oven to bring the issue to an end. The village was not responsible for shutting it down. Continued on Page 34
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