Politics & Government

Overflow Crowd Hears Plan for Relocation of Dejana Industries

Harbor View residents voice concerns; second public hearing to be set.

By Joe Dowd

Nearly 400 people showed up for a North Hempstead Town Hall public hearing Thursday, raising concerns about a plan to relocate Dejana Industries headquarters on West Shore Road in Port Washington.

Only 100 or so could fit in the meeting room itself, with others sitting in an adjacent hallway or downstairs. Inside the meeting room, a representative of Dejana Industries discussed the company’s goals and the need for a zoning change on the 5-acre site. 

The proposed building “is designed to be protective of the environment and wetlands,” said Kathleen Deegan Dickson, a partner with the Uniondale law firm Forchelli, Curto, Deegan, Schwartz, Mineo & Terrana."

Currently housed in several locations in Manorhaven, Dejana has a number of companies, including garbage removal, street sweeping, snow removal and catch basin cleaning. Still, the proposed site would accommodate 25-30 trucks, and possibly another 50-60 would be stored for seasonal use, Dickson noted. 

Trucks would be cleaned before heading to the new headquarters, and because there would no garbage at the site, it would not attract vermin or rats, she added.

But Harbor View residents say the site is too close to about 500 homes nearby, including condos and senior housing units. 

Robert Calica, an attorney and president of the Harbor View Homeowners Association, said nobody knew about the hearing until spotting a legal notice in a recent edition of a local paper.

Against a backdrop of neighbors holding signs urging to protect nearby wetlands, Calica said, “Please don’t rush into this.” 

Because of the large crowd, the town board decided to set a new date to continue the public hearing in a larger venue capable of accommodating all interested parties. 

That date will be set when the board meets next on Aug.13. 


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