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Minutes of the General Membership Meeting of the Westmoreland Association
November 15, 2010
Officers Present:
President � Walter Mugdan
Vice President � Sheldon Rosenblum
Treasurer � Gary Savage
Secretary � Charles Manna
Special Guests�
� John Mulvey, Representing New York City Councilman Dan Halloran
� Susan Seinfeld, Community Board 11 District Manager
� Elliott Socci, President, Douglaston Civic Association
� Patrick Conti, a Reporter from Patch.com
President Walter Mugdan called the meeting to order at 8:00 P.M. A motion was
made, seconded and unanimously adopted to waive reading of the minutes. (Mr.
Mugdan noted that the minutes were available for review on the Westmoreland
website.) Treasurer Gary Savage gave the Treasurer�s Report indicating that the
balance-on-hand was $17,010.98 as of November 15, 2010. A motion was made to
accept the Treasurer�s report. The motion was seconded and the report was
unanimously approved.
Old Business
Long Island Railroad
The long-awaited installation of the quad gates at the Little Neck Parkway grade
crossing was completed. Shortly thereafter, the City installed a new traffic
configuration at the crossing which is very controversial.
The reduction in train whistle noise, permitted because of the quad gate
installation, was widely viewed as very welcome. Attendees expressed irritation
that the bells on the crossing gates continued to chime this summer after the
installation of the quad gates was completed. That practice stopped, finally,
this fall. Attendees were also pleased that the parking lot was reconfigured to
better manage the flow of traffic. However, the new traffic configuration was
generally disliked.
Queens Transportation Commissioner Maura McCarthy had been invited but was
unable to attend the meeting. She called Walter Mugdan before the meeting and
reported on the reasons for the traffic configuration created by NYC DOT �
specirfically, the center traffic island that was created north of the crossing.
Mr. Mugdan shared Commissioner McCarthy�s information:
� The island median was constructed to prevent people from turning left onto
Sand Hill Rd when traveling north on Little Neck Parkway. The purpose is to
avoid a potentially dangerous situation where a car intending to turn left is
blocked by traffic coming the other way on Sand Hill road � a two-way, one lane
road. The car intending to turn left could be �stranded� on the tracks when the
gates start to come down for an approaching train. (Mr. Mugdan told Commissioner
McCarthy that this new configuration creates difficulty for people who want to
enter Sand Hill Rd. Either they proceed further north and do a U-turn, or they
must enter Douglas Manor by continuing on Northern Boulevard all the way to
Douglaston Parkway (the only other entrance to the Manor area).
� According to a DOT study, prior to establishment of the new configuration, 85%
of turns there were in violation during rush hour (when left turns from Little
Neck Parkway into Sandhill Road were prohibited).
� New stop signs were added on Little Neck Parkway north of the train crossing
to prevent cars from blocking traffic that crosses the tracks. However, Mr
Mugdan explained to the Commissioner that often cars are now often stuck on the
tracks as people disembarked from cars ahead that stopped there on what is now a
single lane of roadway east of the island.
� The median plus painted divider extends 80 feet from the tracks. U turns are
now specifically permitted (they were formerly prohibited).
Extensive discussion ensued.
� There is still a dangerous situation for pedestrians who egress from the east
side of the parking lot onto 39th Ave. There is no sidewalk.
� Perhaps a STOP sign on the median south of the tracks would minimize the
potentially dangerous situation of concern to DOT.
� North of the tracks, people are now making U-turns in order to enter Sand Hill
Rd. This is very disruptive to the nearby homeowners, and is also dangerous
� People are still ducking under the gate to get to the trains.
� One local resident noted that she gets trapped in her driveway on the north
side of the tracks during rush hour because of the heavy, backed-up traffic.
Cars use her driveway to do U-turns.
� Susan Seinfeld of CB-11 noted that the LIRR installed the �No Left Turn� sign
because they didn�t want traffic to get stuck on the tracks when a train is
approaching. It is clear that the sign hasn�t eliminated the problem. Possibly,
it has aggravated the problem.
Elliott Socci of the Douglaston Civic Association said his organization is not
taking a formal position, but he mentioned that Bernie Haber of the Douglas
Manor Association is raising the issue with the DOT.
Motion made, seconded and passed � �The center median on Little Neck Parkway
north and south of the LIRR tracks was not fully discussed with the public
before they were installed. As a result, there are problems, probably
unforeseen, that have arisen. Westmoreland Homeowners Association feels that
there should be a public hearing held by the DOT to discuss these issues to see
if appropriate changes can be made.� [On November 21, Walter Mugdan sent
Commissioner McCarthy a letter detailing the Association�s concerns and
requesting further public interaction.]
Parking Restrictions
The proposal to have restricted parking for at least a short time each week, in
order to allow street cleaning and to deter on-street commuter parking, was
raised again. Prior to leaving office as City Councilman in late 2009, Tony
Avella had written to Walter Mugdan advising that a NYCDOT tracking number was
assigned to the question of parking restrictions in the neighborhood. It was
turned over to the Sanitation Department. Mr. Mugdan called Sanitation, which
advised that the request has to come through the community board. There was no
decision to pursue the matter with CB-11 at this time.
Our remaining meetings during 2010-2011 will be held on March 21, 2011 and May
16, 2011.
The meeting was adjourned at 9:50 PM.
Respectfully submitted
Charles Manna, Secretary
To view meetings schedules click here
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