Long Island briefs

RIVERHEAD

Town amends rule for snow emergencies

After four years of trying to figure out how to get cars off town roads before a snowstorm, the Riverhead Town board has come up with a compromise that would let the supervisor or a designee declare a snow emergency before a storm arrives and would ban parking on any town road from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m.

A public hearing on the plan has been set for the next town board meeting at 2 p.m. March 4. "Once we pass this code, spring will come and we won't have to worry about it," Supervisor Sean Walter joked.

But, he quickly added, getting cars off the road is no joke. "I used to plow with a friend. Having cars on the road makes it a lot tougher," Walter said.

The reason it took four years to come up with a way to let the police chief or the highway superintendent declare an emergency is that state law gives only the town supervisor that power, but the town said that power can be designated.

There was also disagreement over the hours during which parking could be banned, Walter said.

Under the new proposal, the town would post information about snow closures on the town website and notify at least one local radio station. Cars left on the road would be towed away by the police department and the owners would have to pay the cost of towing and storage and could be fined up to $250.

SUFFOLK

County services

at Brentwood site

Suffolk will provide a limited number of county services -- including assistance with food stamp applications and job searches -- at the Brentwood offices of an immigrant advocacy group.

County Executive Steve Bellone announced yesterday that the departments of Labor and Social Services and the Human Rights Commission will provide services at the office of Make the Road New York, 1090 Suffolk Ave.

"Ensuring that all residents have access to county services is of the utmost importance to my administration," Bellone said at a ceremony held at the office yesterday.

Bellone said the partnership was part of an effort to reach "underserved communities," noting that residents in Central Islip and Brentwood have had limited access to county services in the past due to a host of issues including limited transportation.

Every Thursday, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., the two departments will each have a representative on-site to help connect residents with county programs. Services will include providing referrals to adult education and job training programs and conducting eligibility screenings for social service programs such as food stamps and subsidized child care.

The county's Human Rights Commission, which is responsible for handling discrimination complaints, will also be available to meet residents by appointment, Bellone said.

All services will be available in English and in Spanish.

ISLIP

Agency holds lottery for renovated homes

With a little bit of luck, 15 qualified families will find a new home in Islip.

The town's Community Development Agency held a lottery for 15 houses in the town on Feb. 11. Families were chosen for the lottery based on required income and credit guidelines, and will now have to prove to the CDA that their incomes can handle the required mortgage payments. The chosen applicants, all first-time home buyers, will also have to successfully complete a homebuyer's training class to ready themselves for the responsibilities of home ownership.

The houses are in Bay Shore, Brentwood, Central Islip and Ronkonkoma, and 12 of them were once foreclosed properties in "deplorable condition," according to the town. The CDA bought the homes from foreclosure listings and renovated the homes with funding from the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development.

"For many families this is their best chance at achieving the American dream of home ownership," Councilman John Cochrane said in a release. The town is accepting applications for the housing lottery program on an ongoing basis.

Applicants must meet a certain income threshold dependent on family size, and must be American citizens or currently holding permanent resident status. For more information, contact the CDA at 631- 665-1185.

GLEN COVE

Public hearing held on waterfront plan

Residents packed City Hall last week to hear about the public spaces that would be part of a proposed $1 billion mixed-use waterfront project.

While the topic was the public spaces, residents raised concerns about the security, parking and traffic and some questioned the suitability of the project for the city.

The landscape architect of the project, Rick Parisi, a managing principal at New York City-based MPFP PLLC, described a 22.5-acre "necklace" of waterfront parks that would include open lawns, a playground, an esplanade, cafes and a cultural center.

The developer, RXR Glen Isle Partners LLC, will be responsible for maintaining the publicly accessible property, which is part of a plan to build 860 residential units, a 250-room hotel, 25,000 square feet of retail and restaurant space, and 50,000 square feet of office space on 52 acres.

Thomas Graham, a vice president at Uniondale-based RXR Realty LLC, said he expected the project to break ground next year after the city completes roadwork.

For decades, industrial plants lined the waterfront but in recent years millions have been spent cleaning up contamination. Asked by a member of the audience whether they were sure the site would be safe for people to use, Graham said, "We're not closing on the property if the property isn't cleaned up."

Glen Cove Mayor Reginald Spinello, who convened the meeting, said another would be held in about two months.

Parisi said that through discussions with the public and the mayor they want to "arrive at a proper design so that you'll want to come here all the time, you'll want to come here for a cup of coffee, you'll want to come here to bring the children."

GREAT NECK

Meeting set on plan to rezone 2 roads

The village board of trustees will hold a public hearing next month on a proposal to rezone two major arteries.

A revised proposal will be presented at the March 4 meeting on how Steamboat and Middle Neck roads could be rezoned. The proposal centers around revitalizing and condensing the business district along a portion of Middle Neck Road and creating multifamily housing and townhomes on a section of Steamboat Road.

The village held several public hearings on the idea last year. It received comments and suggestions from residents and property owners, some of which have since been incorporated in the revisions by the consultant on the project, Vanasse Hangen Brustlin Inc., according to the village.

Materials on the rezoning can be seen at www.greatneckvillage.org. The hearing will take place at the regular board of trustees meeting, at 7:30 p.m. March 4 at Village Hall, 61 Baker Hill Rd., Great Neck.

WESTBURY

Aerosmith drummer meets residents

Sandi Schwartz held her drumsticks and waited anxiously in line with her sister and brother-in-law at Costco in Westbury.

She was waiting to meet Aerosmith drummer Joey Kramer, who was in town on Saturday to promote Rockin' & Roastin,' his organic coffee.

"I'm a huge Aerosmith fan," said Schwartz, 40, of North Bellmore. "My first concert I ever went to was an Aerosmith concert when I was 13 years old. We sat in the way back, and I had binoculars. I knew I had to come. And Joey Kramer was so nice he signed all four drumsticks."

Kramer posed for pictures and signed drumsticks, albums, shirts and cassettes for hours.

"I started the company because I've always had a passion for coffee," said Kramer, 63, of Austin, Texas. "It'll make your lips sing. And the fans are always great. I'm not just a celebrity putting my name on some coffee to sell it. I'm trying to bring a great gourmet coffee to market at a reasonable price."

The coffee sells for $14.99.

Nora Jovel, assistant general manager of Costco, said the rock star brought extra foot traffic into the already busy store. "I have to say, at least 300 people came in to meet him," said Jovel, 37, of Port Jefferson. "This definitely brings people in the store and encourages sales. One lady even bought a membership just to see him."

Carmela Vaselice of Melville picked up two bags of Kramer's coffee. She also asked Kramer to sign her husband's copy of Aerosmith's 1975 classic album, "Toys in the Attic."

"My husband loves Aerosmith and has lots of their albums, so we take every chance we can to get them autographed," Vaseline said. "He's going to be excited."

A musician himself, Dave Connolly, Schwartz's brother-in-law, was thrilled to speak with the music legend.

"It's just so cool to meet somebody who's in the industry," said Connolly, 46, of East Meadow. "He seems like a really nice guy. It's just really incredible being here. Now that he was kind enough to sign this [cassette tape] it will become a treasured item in our house."

SMITHTOWN

New book to focus on founding family

The town's founding family is the subject of a new book published next month by the Ward Melville Heritage Organization.

St. James-based author Claire Nicolas White explores the answer to the question "What does it mean to be a Smith?" in her new book "The Land of Smiths: A Collection of Personal Memoirs."

White, who is a Smith by marriage, conducted numerous interviews with Smith descendants in the 1970s and reviewed written memoirs before that time, according to WMHO communications manager Marie Gilberti.

"She's a big historian. The book itself -- there's obviously a lot of connections between the Town of Smithown, the Smith family, and even Stony Brook," said Gilberti. "Jonas Smith in the 1800s actually lived at the Three Village Inn. It's now obviously a restaurant. During his time, he was . . . a big maritime captain."

The Ward Melville Heritage Organization owns the inn, she said, adding that Smith would entertain captains from all over the world sharing maritime tales there.

White's book is the first published by the organization, which is celebrating its 75th anniversary, said Gilberti. Next year is also the 350th anniversary of the Town of Smithtown.

The Ward Melville Heritage Organization plans to host a free reception and book signing on March 30 from 3 to 4:30 p.m. at its Educational & Cultural Center, 111 Main St. in the Stony Brook Village Center.

Gilberti said the gathering will offer residents a chance to learn about the history of Smithtown, St. James, Stony Brook and Head of the Harbor.

White, who has written more than 20 books, will lead discussion about the Smiths at the event, which also includes a special theatrical presentation of her book.

Copies of the book will be available for purchase. For more information, call 631-751-2244 or visit wmho.org.

BELLPORT

Board to adopt

tax cap resolution

The Bellport Village board plans to adopt a resolution tonight allowing the panel to pierce the state tax cap, Mayor Raymond Fell said.

Village officials expect to adopt a 2014-15 budget in April that will raise taxes more than 2 percent, Fell said in an interview. He said he could not estimate how much taxes would go up next year.

"Where it will come in, I don't know, but it will not come in under 2 percent," he said.

State law limits tax levy increases to 2 percent, excluding expenses such as pension payments and legal settlements.

The village budget, currently about $4.5 million, is expected to go up next year due to increased payroll costs and capital improvements, Fell said. About 12 unionized village employees are due a 2.25 percent raise next year, he said.

The village also plans to paint Village Hall and install a new roof at the community center, Fell said.

The village also must make a $28,000 payment next year on a Highway Department truck leased for $145,000, he said.