Do you hear what I hear?
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Pointing Out
The new TOBAY way
They’re building housing in the Town of Oyster Bay.
Yes, really.
It’s been nearly 10 years since Charles Wang withdrew his proposal for a mixed-use development in Plainview during a contentious Town of Oyster Bay hearing. It’s been nearly six years since developer Michael Dubb got involved, contracting with Wang to buy the land and take on the effort to build there.
Construction is finally underway at the 143-acre site near Old Country Road and the Long Island Expressway.
Dubb, who has navigated years of approvals, permitting and planning, is building a mixed-use development with 750 units of housing, mostly for people 55 and older. The project includes 90 affordable units, plus retail and office space.
One hundred units have been sold. Dubb hopes the first residents will be able to move in by the end of 2017.
After all, when it comes to development on Long Island, building is the easy part.
Randi F. Marshall
Pencil Point
Doctor Putin
Talking Point
New twist in controversial boycott
New York’s Office of General Services will not be updating its blacklist of firms that are boycotting Israel — even though the list OGS published earlier this month has come in for criticism.
Some companies say they don’t belong on the roster of 13 that OGS determined participate in the controversial boycott, divestment and sanctions movement — or BDS — that targets Israel.
Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo announced in June that his administration would ban companies participating in BDS from doing business with state agencies. When the list was published on Dec. 2, no companies currently doing business with the state were on it.
Even though the blacklist has no immediate impact, civil liberties organizations object to Cuomo’s boycott of the boycotters, saying it targets companies for their political positions. And some companies, such as engineering firm Royal HaskoningDHV, based in the Netherlands, told Politico New York that they don’t participate in BDS and shouldn’t have been listed.
OGS spokeswoman Heather Groll declined a request from The Point to discuss how the agency drew up its list. Illinois, Florida and New Jersey have made similar rosters.
Protests that New York’s list is inaccurate or doesn’t affect any current state contracts may be missing the point. Cuomo signed the executive order just before he marched in the June 5 Celebrate Israel parade in New York City. His anti-BDS stance has earned him good publicity in the Israeli press, and with sympathizers in New York.
So, mission accomplished.
Anne Michaud
Making a Point
Back to the future for campaign finance
It’s that time of year when what’s old is new. Specifically, the 2013 election won by New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, who is running again in 2017.
The city Campaign Finance Board, meeting on Thursday, is likely to recommend penalties and the repayment of public funds by the campaigns of several 2013 candidates, said board spokesman Matt Sollars.
The boldfaced names on the agenda include Comptroller Scott Stringer, former City Council Speaker Christine Quinn and de Blasio. (Anthony Weiner, another 2013 mayoral candidate, was hit with penalties earlier this month.)
Meanwhile, the board has been fighting a number of measures in the City Council that it says could weaken protections against abuses in public campaign financing. In a statement, the board complimented some of the council’s changes to the bills, but recommended others. A full vote on the bills is also expected on Thursday, setting up a potentially awkward coincidence between new penalties for bad behavior and measures that could make bad behavior easier.
Mark Chiusano
