The Village of Westbury board of trustees talked special permits, safety and the Ellison Avenue bridge at last week’s meeting.
Mayor Peter Cavallaro noted that he had recently met with Nassau County Police Department Third Precinct inspectors to voice the village’s safety concerns as a result of numerous area break-ins.
“It’s important we’re getting the coverage and attention we deserve,” Cavallaro said, noting that village residents spend $6.5 million a year on police protection. “Every year when the weather is warm we see an uptick in car break-ins, this year, there were more numerous reports in that activity.”
Cavallaro said the NCPD would try to provide increased patrols as resources would allow. In the meantime, the village has been sending out code enforcement cars to specific areas more frequently.
“We try to make rounds through the village with those cars, just to have an official presence, when we have those men on duty,” Cavallaro said. He also encouraged residents to continue to be vigilant in locking their car doors and windows, and not leaving any valuables out in visible sight.
At the meeting, La Rosita Restaurant, a deli at 150 Post Ave., applied for a special permit to stay open until 1 a.m. every night. Currently, the eatery, which also sells beer and wine, operates from 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. The planning board suggested the board approve the application, on the recommendation that they prohibit loitering outside the establishment. The board of trustees voted to defer the decision until their next meeting.
The board also talked about the status of the Ellison Avenue bridge, noting that the project was progressing nicely. Senior building inspector William Mello said that one added bonus of the project was that the sidewalks on the bridge were widened considerably to five and a half feet. Ellison Avenue is expected to be opened on April 15, with some additional work, such as the pulling up of cables, painting of road markers and putting of up signage, continuing until May.
