Schools

Mineola School Board to Allow Parking for Chaminade Events

Board to open Jackson Avenue School lots to relieve residents while lease agreement negotiated.

Mineola residents living near are getting some relief from sports fans parking along local streets. Following a recent meeting between Mineola , Superintendent Dr. Michael Nagler and Chaminade President Bro. Tom Cleary, S.M., those attending Chaminade events will be able to use the parking lots at the Jackson Avenue and middle schools for weekend events.

“The weekends are kinda hectic and crowded over there during events and some evening when both schools are having events,” Strauss said, “hopefuly we can get the residents in that area some relief.”

“They have quite a few cars that come into the neighborhood,” Dr. Nagler said at the October 20 meeting, “and there’s really no facility for them to park and the the mayor asked us if we would be willing to let them use our parking lots. It’s up to the board whether or not we want to charge them, but it’s certainly within our prerogative to charge them.”

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The situation is more for football events in the fall than during the spring sports season and the district would obtain a schedule of events Chaminade wishes to use the lots ahead of time. “We could probably coordinate so our events don’t conflict with theirs,” Trustee John McGrath said. Chaminade next has a bowl football playoff game on November 12. 

“We don’t really use those parking lots that much on the weekends,” Dr. Nagler said. “The mayor was fairly adamant about wanting to help the residents and wanting to ease the burden of parking particularly on Emory Road.”

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The village has been enforcing , “but apparently the (Chaminade) parents don’t care,” Dr. Nagler said. “They’re paying the ticket but it doesn’t help the resident who can’t get out of their driveway because the car’s not moving and evidently the last few weekend’s its been bad.”

A lot owned by Chaminade to the north of Jericho Turnpike has about 60 spaces, but certain sporting events “could generate 1,000 people,” Nagler estimated. Approximately 50 cars can fit in the  lot with an additional 70 across both lots at the .

“How much can you really charge for a parking lot?” McGrath asked, suggesting either letting the lot be used free as a neighborly gesture or charging Chaminade “whatever it costs us to clean up” after events. Dr. Nagler said that the cost of cleanup could be included as part of the agreement.

According to Board President Christine Napolitano, Mineola school janitors were reportedly cleaning up the lot every day, not just on weekends. “Added to it they have that lot on Jericho Turnpike which they’re using for tailgating so there’s already a parking problem,” she said. “But now their own parents are taking up extra spots so that they can have parties. We’re not a college community. It seems a little unfair that the residents are bearing it. It certainly adds to their appeal that they can say ‘you can use public school lots’. I just feel that there should be some sort of a nominal charge.”

The superintendent said the district could hire an outside firm to collect money on event dates. “That doesn’t solve the problem because anybody who doesn’t want to pay the money to go park in the lot is gonna go out and park on the street for free,” McGrath said, suggested letting Chaminade using the lot immediately and resolve the cost issue at a later date. “We can tell them ‘right now you can use it for nothing but the board’s considering charging a fee, either to individuals using it or to Chaminade directly’.”

The possibility of fire pits/ barbecues alarmed board vice-president William Hornberger, who said that “I now have truly a concern as it relates to some sort of tailgating event.”

Dr. Nagler responded by saying that “it is not our responsibility to police what’s going on,” once a lease has been drawn up. “We’re not going there on a Saturday, Chaminade has to enforce it.”

The board decided to allow Chaminade to use the lots “on a temporary basis” with specific dates until a lease with fees and prohibition on tailgating could be drawn up.

“We’re trying to help the village with the immediate problem and we’re looking towards compensation for the use of our property,” Dr. Nagler said.


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