Angry Lawrence residents oppose the proposed development on Tuesday, saying it will cause more traffic headaches for people in the area.
A large crowd gathered at the Lawrence County and Yacht Club to speak out about their dissatisfaction with what they called “serious overdevelopment.”
“I’m not saying people can’t come here. That’s not what I’m saying. What I’m saying is we’re not a city, we’re not New York City,” Judy said. Bernstein says
Some of the projects Bernstein and other residents are angry about include a development slated to introduce several new single-family homes at Lawrence Woodmere Academy and an Amazon warehouse on the border of Nassau County and Queens. It will be
They are concerned that these developments will clog roads and become a safety issue.
“With all these cars coming in, how do firefighters get through and how do firefighters get to the fire station,” says Bernstein. “How about a doctor, what about an ambulance, what about someone? I mean it’s really hard to get around the neighborhood.”
Bernstein said the project was approved with little input from people who have lived in the area for years.
But some Five Towns residents, like Mitch Michaeli, say development is inevitable and public forums need to focus on infrastructure and what is needed to accommodate the project.
“What we have to fight for is a refreshed infrastructure. Everyone needs the last line of growth. Growth is good for everyone. Overgrowth is not good for anyone. But we need growth,” says Michaeli. “If the price is too high, everyone will move here and there will be no place, but we will need a way out, and we will need more ways to get out.”
Another meeting will be held on September 20th in the town of Hempstead on this issue.