Big houses in Hempstead Town, traffic stop signs, DOT road work
State Department of Transportation workers at a site on Merrick Road in October 2025. Credit: Howard Simmons
Curb big houses on other town lots
The Town of Hempstead is considering a zoning change to reduce the allowable house size on properties in the Levittown Planned Residence District “Some building permits on hold,” Our Towns, April 29]. Why stop there?
It seems as if every neighborhood within the Town of Hempstead has the same issue, where flippers buy a house, tear it down, and build a McMansion in its place. Within just the past few years, I’ve seen at least six of these large houses built in my immediate area — on 60-foot-by-100-foot lots.
The first house was 3,100 square feet and sold for $1.499 million, and the others have far exceeded that size and price. As I drive around Westbury, I’ve seen many of these same large houses in other neighborhoods, too.
Besides being so large, there is little variety as to aesthetics. I see boring white houses with black window trim. With no outdoor space, who would want these as homes? This issue needs to be addressed townwide.
— Christine Gietschier, Westbury
Stop in the name of the law? Yes!
I can’t believe the audacity of Faith Luper in filing federal and village lawsuits against Stop for Kids LLC and the Village of Saddle Rock, stating they have no “legal basis” to operate “Suits target stop-sign program,” Long Island, May 3]. Really? There’s no legal basis enforcing the law of coming to a complete stop at a stop sign?
Luper received three violation notices from September 2022 through August 2024 for not obeying a stop sign. A stop sign means stop, not rolling through it or blatantly driving through it. No lawsuits would exist, wasting taxpayers’ money, if she and other drivers had simply stopped as required.
— Grace Palm, North Massapequa
It’s a two-way street for DOT workers
Yes, drivers must be alert and careful [“Look out for road workers,” Musings, April 27]. But the New York State Department of Transportation and its workers have to do their part as well. They must try to minimize delays and disruptions for drivers.
— Nick Ziino, Ridge
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