A Master Plan For Nassau County?

Planning Commission To Outline Vision On March 16th; Public Encouraged To Attend

Robert Moses, the so-called Master Planner, responsible, in great measure, for the migration eastward from New York City, passed away in 1981, his last foray into public works, as head of the Triborough Bridge & Tunnel Authority, having pre-deceased him by some thirteen years.

Indeed, while there have been many attempts to formulate a workable Master Plan for Long Island, and Nassau County, in particular, as evidenced by what has become of Nassau's "downtowns" and byways -- where zoning by exception rules, and vision is of the tunnel variety -- there hasn't been much planning in these parts since Moses parted the scene in the late 1960s.

Yes, there have been pokes at creating a Master Plan, in one incarnation or another, lo these many years (and we've chronicled the good, the bad, and the downright ugly, right here at The Community Alliance blog), yet, save those plans that lay gathering dust in the catacombs or bottled up like some magical genie of yore, not one has made its way from drafting table to the streets of Long Island. [Piecemeal spot development, courtesy of local zoning/planning boards, notwithstanding.]

If at first you don't succeed (or at second, third, and forth, for that matter), try, try again.

And try again the County of Nassau will, with the Nassau County Planning Commission set to unveil its vision -- not an actual plan, but a vision for one -- for that new Nassau on Monday, March 16th from 5:30-7:30 PM at the County Legislative Chambers, 1550 Franklin Avenue, Mineola.

It is touted as a Public Kickoff Meeting, and that means, you, the public (formerly, we, the people), are invited to add your input and share your vision, this in the hope that the new (and improved) Nassau won't look so much like the old Nassau, or at least not like the one that time has forgotten since the days when Levittown became America's first suburban community.

Granted, that "vision" thing hasn't yielded much in the way of planning, let alone smart growth or redeveopment of either brownfield or "Main Street" -- at least beyond the Victorian-style streetlamps and brick pavers that have passed for "streetscaping" -- but hey, nothing ventured, nothing gained, right?

We'll keep you posted as the Planning Commission's vision -- and the Nassau County Master Plan website, which, as of this blogpost, is still "under construction" (surprise!) -- takes shape, and offer our own insight, recommendations, and observations, as watchdog of Long Island's quality of life.

Through the follies and foibles of planning and zoning (or utter lack thereof) as have turned America's oldest suburb into America's most blighted suburb, hope springs eternal.

Yes, Robert Moses, there is a Planning Commission (as there was a Lee Koppelman. Remember him?) Let's just hope, for all of our sakes, they (we?) get this vision thing right this time, and live to see paper hit pavement in our lifetime.

Excelsior!