Proposed Fence Causes Controversy
By Stephanie Mariel Petrellese

The Garden City Board of Trustees was set to vote on awarding a bid to install an ornamental fence along Stewart Avenue on the St. Paul's property at its September 14th meeting, but instead, faced with opposition from residents and two property owners' associations, the Board voted to defer the item to the October 19 meeting.

In a 6 to 2 vote (Bee and Rothschild against), the Board of Trustees voted to refer the matter back to the property owners' associations to see if they approve of the black, estate-style fence. The Board also called upon the Recreation Commission to draw up a computer rendering of how the fence will look with a snow fence also situated on the property.

The issue dates back almost exactly two years when the project, which at the time also consisted of a walking/jogging path, was scheduled to go out to bid. Over the next year, the Board met overwhelming opposition to the path from residents and eventually decided to drop consideration of the issue.

The need for a fence was also debated at the time, with some residents calling for shrubs. The fence style also caused some controversy as some residents claimed the black, 4 1/2-foot high estate-style fence recommended by the Board of Commissioners of Cultural and Recreational Affairs looked like a cemetery. Brick pilasters measuring five feet tall would be situated every 150 feet, with two at the main entrance.

According to Kevin E. Ocker, chairman of the Board of Commissioners of Cultural and Recreational Affairs, the commission did seek input from the public and POAs before making their recommendation. The Recreation Commission contends that the fence is needed for safety reasons to prevent children from running into the street and to serve as a hindrance to vehicles that may accidentally veer off the busy avenue.

The Village plans to take advantage of a grant procured by Senator Kemp Hannon to install a fence along the St. Paul's property. The grant is from money made available to legislators to distribute as part of the Community Capital Assistance Program. It is a reimbursement grant, so the Village would have to lay out the money for the fence and then submit the appropriate forms to receive up to $90,000. The bid that the Board was going to vote on last Thursday was for a total of $83,500.

Daniel Karas, president of the Central Property Owners' Association, said his association is against the fence. Robert Stark, Jr., president of the Eastern Property Owners' Association, also stated that his group is against the estate-style fence and would prefer a snow fence. This surprised Deputy Mayor Peter Bee, who thought the EPOA had originally been in favor of the fence. To make sure that all POAs were given a chance to confirm their stance on the issue, trustees decided to refer the matter back to them.

Before they voted to do that, however, trustees debated the fence issue. Trustee Thomas Lamberti is against the fence because he said it will dramatically change the character of the Village and mar it with a "cemetery-type fence." Trustee Donald Brudie also voiced his opposition to the fence, especially its position eleven feet from the property line. Brudie would like to see a park built on the property for senior citizens since they get very little personal use from the area, which is predominantly used by children.

Trustee Robert Rothschild, who serves as board liaison to the Recreation Commission and voted against sending the issue back to the POAs, said the commission has made its recommendation and the Board should make a decision. He added that residents should have already expressed their concerns with a fence to their POA representative.

Some residents spoke out against the fence at the Sept. 14th meeting. Thomas Whelan is concerned that an estate-style fence is a waste of money when a snow fence is installed every year by the Village from November through April along the property on Stewart Avenue. "My concern is that we are duplicating what we don't need to duplicate," he said. "It's the largest open green space that Garden City has."