N. Hempstead panel OKs new district lines

Despite objections from residents in Plandome Heights, the North Hempstead redistricting committee voted Monday to recommend new council district lines that would impact that village, Munsey Park village and a portion of Herricks.

The nine-member committee considered three proposals to adjust the six districts based on the 2010 census, which showed that the population in the 4th Council District has grown, while that in the 2nd District has decreased. The town board would have to approve any changes to the original district map, which was drawn in 2003.

At its work session at Clinton G. Martin Park in New Hyde Park, five members of the committee voted for the third option, in which Plandome Heights would be moved from the 6th to the 4th District and Munsey Park would go from the 4th to the 6th District. Also, an area in Herricks would change from the 5th to the 2nd District.

Member Susan Ben-Moshe voted for the second option, which called for the same changes for Plandome Heights and Munsey Park but instead of shifting Herricks, would move part of North New Hyde Park from the 5th to the 2nd District.

Member Barbara Donno, the mayor of Plandome Manor, voted for the first option, which sought to move the Village of Roslyn from the 4th to the 2nd District. Member Joseph Scalero, the clerk of Mineola village, abstained. Member Jonai Singh was absent.

Donno said she was opposed to the two plans that moved Plandome Heights because it would no longer be in the same council district as the villages of Plandome and Plandome Manor. "We'd like to keep the Plandomes together," she said.

Committee chairman John Riordan said the group, since its May 21 meeting, had received more than 40 comments from Plandome Heights residents who agreed with Donno.

But John Colbert, a former mayor of Mineola who is a co-chair of the redistricting committee, said the only difference for residents who find themselves placed into a new district would be the identity of their council member.

A Washington, D.C.-based consultant prepared the three options, directed by the committee to keep incorporated villages together and make as little change as possible.