Activists uneasy over water tower proposal

Community activists in Wantagh and Seaford are nervously watching two development proposals for a site on DeMott Avenue in Wantagh.

While plans to construct two one-floor buildings aren't bothering nearby residents, a proposal for a 150-foot-tall water tower has generated worries about visual pollution that could negatively impact property values.

Aqua New York, Inc., a nongovernmental water company, submitted the construction project proposals to the Town of Hempstead Board of Appeals for the site just west of the Seaford Oyster Bay Expressway and east of Temple Drive.

The first application sought by Aqua is for construction of the buildings for chemical, electrical and water-well operations. A second application calls for the water tower, which the company said is needed to address persistent low water-pressure problems in the area.

Aqua has already received New York State Public Service Commission approval for the tower, but it is up to the town board of appeals to make the final decision about whether the projects go forward.

The first of two planned public hearings before the board is scheduled for Wednesday at 2 p.m. in the Nathan L.H. Bennett Pavilion adjacent to Hempstead Town Hall. The board will hold a separate hearing about the tower on July 27.

Ella Stevens, president of the Wantagh/Seaford Homeowners Association, said a representative of the group will request that Wednesday's hearing be adjourned and combined with the July 27 hearing. The association also wants the July hearing postponed to give the community more time to study and discuss the proposals.

"We are looking to schedule a meeting with the community and Aqua," Stevens said. "I want them to hear the community's feeling on the proposals."

The appeals board has asked Aqua to hold a "well-publicized" community meeting on the water tower proposal, but left it up to Aqua's discretion.