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Planned funeral home closer to approval by Eric Usinger There was little opposition presented against the proposed construction of a funeral home at Whitewood Drive and Merrick Road, Massapequa Park. At two sparsely attended meetings May 4—one in the afternoon and the other in the evening— the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) solicited public comment on the proposal for the site, which is adjacent to tidal wetlands. DEC Administrative Law Judge Francis W. Serbent presided over the meetings. "I’m in favor [of the project] because it would benefit the neighborhood and be an improvement to the dump we have there now," said Catherine Carranta, a Bar Harbour resident. Massapequa Park resident Bruce Foley added, "looking at that property over the years and witnessing it through a lot of controversy, I think the proposed funeral home is a positive improvement in that area." Objections to the plan, which have been raised over the last year and a half, included concerns about traffic at the Merrick Road /Whitewood Drive intersection. "There are only two entrances into our community, Harbur Lane and Whitewood Drive," said Bar Harbour resident Eillen Schrnack. "Now we have a shopping center, a school, and this will bring even more traffic. If God forbid there is a fire or an emergency, I feel that with all this traffic this will be a detriment to the area." "There has not been an updated traffic survey in many years," added Steven Asail, "and because there is another proposal there should be another traffic survey." But despite the traffic concerns made by some residents, Serbent said that the DEC’s mission is to gather information concerning the project’s environmental impact, noting that they will not be taking local safety or aesthetic issues into consideration when issuing a final approval. And according to DEC Environmental Analyst Mark Carrara, the proposed funeral home meets State of New York regulations concerning land in proximity to wetlands. According to state law, the building coverage can not exceed 20 percent of the total lot and can not be less than 75 feet from the wetland. Nicholson's proposals meets those requirements, Carrara said. But because residents of Bar Harbour last year petitioned the DEC regarding concerns over the proposals environmental impact, the DEC postponed making a final decision until after the two community meetings were held. In the meantime, Nicholson said, he met with residents of Bar Harbour to discuss his plans for the property. Nicholson said that most residents were concerned that he would be a "transient builder," meaning that he would make a profit off the building and then sell it to a larger corporation. "Something about me selling seemed to really bother people," Nicholson said, "so I worked really hard to convince them that I’m here for the long haul." And although he has been able to reduce a lot of opposition he added that the public will still have an opportunity to ask questions and raise issues as the plan proceeds. Nicholson hopes the DEC will grant final approval of his proposed use of the Whitewood Drive property soon, having been granted "conditional approval" by the state regulatory agency nearly six months ago. Next, the proposal will need the approval from the Massapequa Park Village Board before construction can begin. The property is currently zoned business G-1, which allows for funeral homes to be built as a proper use.
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