"Lighthouse Project" at the Nassau Hub

wolf5958

lil Fuzzybear
#41
The kicker is that the population there is still growing so an 8 to 10 year study will still have old data. It is like the survey's that were done in the 50's for the LIE they did not take into effect population growth and the LIE was obsolete before they finished building it. IMHO this is a crock of S--t and a waste of our tax dollars but hey I'm just a tax payer so who is going to listen to me..
 
#42
The federal government has allocated $19 million to "study" the traffic patterns in and around the Coliseum/Marriott/Hofstra/NCC. Currently there are 24,000 cars taht travel the area daily. The HUB would bring 66,000 cars in that area.

Now, back to that study: how long do you think it is going to take? 8-10 years. this project is dead.

Gavy
Here's how they do the study. They hire a guy for 2 mil a year salary to stand at the intersection of the Meadowbrook Pkwy and Hempstead Trnpk with a clicker and count the cars as they pass. They offered the job to me, but I won't do it for less than 3 mil a year.
 
#43
Here's how they do the study. They hire a guy for 2 mil a year salary to stand at the intersection of the Meadowbrook Pkwy and Hempstead Trnpk with a clicker and count the cars as they pass. They offered the job to me, but I won't do it for less than 3 mil a year.
Actually, they hire about 20 people at about 100k a year, who go and lay counter boxes on the sides of the road and then go and check the counters about once a month. After about six months they add up their totals and "formulate" a report. It's hard work but someones got to do it.
 
#45
This project is NEVER going to get done. The studies on the LIE, Northern and Southern State are years off. Good bye Islanders...
Where have you gone Robert Moses?

I have always liked the look of the project, but given the road congestion in the area, it would be a massive undertaking to do it correctly. Given the nature of Long Island politics, I can't imagine if will get done or that it will get done in a way that makes much sense.
 

Gavvy Cravath

Moderator Emeritus
#46
As with your post in the NHL thread, you nailed this on the head. We could go on and on and on about this, but the simple reasons you state are the reason this will never get done.

Look, I admit that I really don't like or trust Wang, but that project makes sense. I know some guys in this thread come up with a lot of good reasons not to build it, but it would be a boon to the LI economy.

But the traffic...that has to be resolved somehow. But they already shot down double decking Hempstead Tpk for two miles and will never expand the Meadowbrook because of the endagered birds living in what remains of the Hempstead Plains.

Gavy
 

wolf5958

lil Fuzzybear
#47
As with your post in the NHL thread, you nailed this on the head. We could go on and on and on about this, but the simple reasons you state are the reason this will never get done.

Look, I admit that I really don't like or trust Wang, but that project makes sense. I know some guys in this thread come up with a lot of good reasons not to build it, but it would be a boon to the LI economy.

But the traffic...that has to be resolved somehow. But they already shot down double decking Hempstead Tpk for two miles and will never expand the Meadowbrook because of the endagered birds living in what remains of the Hempstead Plains.

Gavy
There is also a clause in the state charter for the state parkways on long island. It states that the roads under the state control must remain as nantrual as possible. That is why on the Northern state they had to spend all that money to make stone over passes, and on the Meadow brook the center devider project went back to the wood post and rail. The only reason they got away with widen the northern state was it did not require buying more land they just reconfigured the merge from the Meadowbrook to the Wantagh.
 

Gavvy Cravath

Moderator Emeritus
#51
OK, Town of Hempstead (Repulicans) pretty much is the villan in all of this right now. Town Supervisor, Kate Murray, is now the target of wrath from Wang, County Dems and Islander fans.

It looks as if Garden City is about the weigh in here with a lawsuit to protect Franklin Avenue shopping. And the thing about Garden City is that they always protect Garden City, screw what's good for the county or LI as a whole. (This is the same town that wouldn't let Jews or blacks live in it until the 1960s.)

Anyway, news of Ratner's arena in Brooklyn is positive. Perhaps this could be the new home of the Islanders? I might not agree with anything Wang does as an owner of the Islanders. He is many things. But one thing is for sure, that land needs to be developed and that building either raised or COMPLETELY renovated.

Gavy
 

Gavvy Cravath

Moderator Emeritus
#52
Al D'Amato kills HUB...

Looks like our favorite corrupt LI politician and resident duecshebag, Senator Al, has killed this thing. Did a great job organizing against it. All to kill Wang after their fallout during the Computer Associates debacle.

Wang and D'Amato --- two peas in a pod. And Wang just might be a megalomaniac, but the HUB is the right thing for Long Island.
 

billyS

Reign of Terror
#53
Looks like our favorite corrupt LI politician and resident duecshebag, Senator Al, has killed this thing. Did a great job organizing against it. All to kill Wang after their fallout during the Computer Associates debacle.

Wang and D'Amato --- two peas in a pod. And Wang just might be a megalomaniac, but the HUB is the right thing for Long Island.
Where are you hearing this?
 

Gavvy Cravath

Moderator Emeritus
#54
I am real exhausted, billy. Can't go into details as I am about to pass out. There were public hearings at Hofstra today where most of the Town of Hempstead Council members, Wang and Rechsler (developer) and the publc were present.

D'Amato and Wang's fued most really have gone bad because D'Amato really organized all the forces behind killing this thing. That's the word in the political circles.

Anyway, newsday.com has a big thing on their main page as I write this. Going to bed...it's been a long day.

And for any of you that have News 12, someone you know and love just might be making an appearance on it tonight...

Gavy
 

Gavvy Cravath

Moderator Emeritus
#57
Please get today's Newsday SUNDAY 9/27/2009

I wonder why my father didn't tell me about the Armand D'Amato part of all this. I called him up at 6:00 AM this morning to confirm Newsday's report ---which we all know is true. My old man is probably still sleeping.

Well, let me begin with this: I don't agree with Charles Wang on many of his policies. I thing he is a megalomaniac. He has made a many number of curious and reckless decisions running the Islanders alone that make me wonder. I have only met Charles Wang once and it was very briefly. I doubt that he realized that my father is xxxxxx because I am sure he might have engaged me a bit more instead of treating me like some fan that hated Mike Milbury. Anyway, he was pretty dismissive in our brief conversation. I am not a fan of Charles Wang.

That being said, he is 100% right about the Nassau Hub project. Something has to go there. It is 80 acres of concrete and asphalt. There is a dilapidated building in the center of said 80 acres. Nassau County needs something. Long Island needs something. This HAS to get done.

I am not a Charles Wang apologist. But his idea makes sense.

As for Al D'Amato, I will go out there and let you know that he is a very distant relative. My great grandmother was a D'Amato. He attended her 80th birthday in the late 1970s with his mother. I ran into him in the late 1980s when he spoke at my high school (and his alma mater). I told him who I was and that I was related to his aunt. He glad handled me like a politician. There was something very creepy and very unsettling about him. His lisp, his cologne, there was something eery about him.

Anyway, Ranger fans will remember this one from the late 80s and early 90s, when Cablevision refused to show the MSG network and the entire region of LI/Cablevision subscribers was blacked out from Ranger and Knick games. He screwed over an entire population of Ranger and Knick fans because of a pissing match he had with Chales Dolan of Cablevision. All because his convicted crook, lawyer brother had some deal go wrong with Cablevision. I voted against D'Amato every chance I got, relative or not, becasue I never forgot what he did to his Ranger fan constituents. Yes, I VOTED Democrat at least 2 x in my life. I vote for Schumer. I voted for Abrams before.

And now I read this article in today's Newsday. And I should ahve known. Again, I am surprised my father hadn't mentioned it to me. I was with him on Tuesday and Wednesday and actually saw him with my kid yesterday. This D'Amato is a no-good son of a bitch. A crooked poitician. As bad or worse than Bill Clinton. Fuck, just go back to the HUD housing and Island Park fiasco. You read up on that, you hate D'Amato for that alone.

And now, holding up the progress of Long Island. Holding LI's future in the balance because of the slight of his brother --- and believe me, Wang should probably have hired him just to get the deal done --- well, does D'Amato really care about Long Islanders? About the people he supposedly represents?

And all of the Town of Hempstead political hacks. On bended knee, thanking Al for their jobs and their perks and their positions. Well, I live in Queens, but I am a registered voter in the Town of Hempstead. And I am proud to say this: I will vote straight Democrat in every local election there is for the rest of me life!

Vote Democrat, Long Island. Your Rebublican politicians are going to be responsible for higher taxes -- as the HUB would actually lower local taxes. Your Republican politicians are going to be responsible for NOT hiring thousands of workers during the construction of the project. Your Republican politicians are going to be responsible for the only major league franchise on the Island to relocate.

And do I blame Wang for moving the Islanders? Absolutely not. This is 100% on D'Amato and his political hacks in the Town of Hempstead. Today's Newsday is required reading for all Long Islanders.

Gavy
 

billyS

Reign of Terror
#58
Okay Gavy, Everyone else here is still sleeping so I'm going to go bring in my copy (get it delivered everyday), put on a pot of coffee, cook up some potatoes and eggs (my Sunday favorite for myself) and check out the article.
 
#59
Wang calls Nassau's bluff on Oct 3rd. Joins with the developers of Heartland in Brentwood. Suffolk gets the Islanders, and the jobs and the young people who will move out of Nassau. I like my Grand Children, and I want to give them a reason to stay.
 

billyS

Reign of Terror
#60
Okay Gavy, saw the article.
D'Amato has always been a sleeze and I never really liked him, although I came to appreciate him a little more once Hillary was our Senator because she did dick for Long Island while Al brought us some pork.
He was once the most powerful man in New York, even more so then the Governor (he hand picked Pataki) but since he retired his influence has been waning. He tried to pull a fast one in Atlantic Beach, building some condos on land not zoned for that but was rebuffed.

His last remaining fiefdom appears to be the Town of Hempstead where a lot of the people in power still owe him.

The accompanying article shows the real problem. The one about the consultants picked by Ra to do the impact study raking up huge fees. This project is as much about connected lawyers, consultants and construction companies making millions of dollars in contracts and hidden fees. That gravy will go to those connected to the party in charge.

It kills the Republicans that after decades of owning Nassau and always getting all this graft now the last piece of valuable land will get developed when they are on the outside looking in.

Since they still control TOH and thus the zoning laws they can hope to delay this long enough so that maybe they can outlast Suzzoi or get control of the Legislature.

Gavy, if either party had control of both TOH and the County, this project would be half done by now.
 
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