(Newsday posted the following article by William Murphy on its website on January 9.)
NEW YORK — The LIRR and the MTA have told officials in Bellerose, Floral Park and Garden City that the agencies will not need to condemn land in their villages for the planned “third track” project in western Nassau, officials confirmed yesterday.
However, officials in Mineola and several other communities along the proposed line say they have not received the same assurances in meetings they had with officials of the transit agencies last month.
The third-track project, in the works for more than two decades, aimed to ease congestion and encourage reverse commuting to jobs on Long Island by adding a third LIRR track along an 11.5-mile stretch between Hicksville and Queens Village.
Residents along the proposed route have denounced the plan not only because of the risk of property condemnation, but because of noise, congestion and safety concerns.
Floral Park Mayor Phil Guarnieri said the development amounted to “a dramatic downscaling” of the project, though he did not elaborate.
Garden City also got the no-condemnation promise, but many details about the project were still unclear, according to Village Administrator Robert Schoelle. He said his understanding was that the LIRR would change the location of the new track in parts of the village.
“This was a more refined approach. We have a better understanding,” Schoelle said of the meeting.
Bellerose Village Mayor Donna Sherrer declared on the village Web site that “there will be no third track in Bellerose Village,” but she did not explain the statement. Sherrer did not return telephone calls for comment.
A railroad spokeswoman, Susan McGowan, declined yesterday to comment.
Mineola Mayor Jack Martins said that since he did not get the same assurances at his meeting, he assumed that the agencies had not ruled out condemnation in his village, also the seat of Nassau County government.
Martins and other village leaders said the state officials gave no reason to ask for the meetings with individual villages after hearing nothing about the project from those agencies for almost a year.
Martins said he was disappointed at the lack of detail he got during his briefing. “Given that they had asked for a meeting, I expected there would be more particulars,” Martins said.
About the project
THE PLAN A third track would be added alongside existing track on an 11.5-mile stretch between Hicksville and Queens Village. The project is expected to relieve congestion along the heavily traveled route. Officials hope the additional trains also encourage commuting form the city to jobs on Long Island.
THE FUNDING The current MTA capital plan includes $202 million for the start of construction and the elimination of three grade crossings.
RESIDENTS AFFECTED Officials in Bellerose, Floral Park and Garden City were assured that land would not have to be condemned to make way for the new track. In Mineola an official said more trains will mean longer waits for motorists at certain crossings, leading to traffic backups.