Public Support, Concern about "Verizon Building"

Almost a dozen people expressed either concern about a change in use to the building at 701 Second Avenue, which is also known as 124 Covert Avenue, or support of the taxi maintenance business operating out of there during a public hearing at on Tuesday night.

Lawrence Blessinger Sr., who owns All Island and Ollie's taxis, explained that this facility will be used for maintenance and repairs on the cars; any auto body will work will done at another facility. He added that between 10 and 12 vehicles at most will be serviced in this building and 20 may be stored there.

The business' hours of operations will be from about 7 a.m. until about 6:30 p.m., Blessinger said. He added that there will be about eight people working in this facility.

The business will also be hiring local people to service the taxis. There may be oxygen settling tank, Blessinger said, which would be "used very rarely."

Don Dreyer, who spoke at the public hearing, pointed out that All Island Taxi has been instrumental in helping people who have physical limitations and the elderly.

"Whatever they promise you, you can take it to the bank," one Garden City woman who spoke at the public hearing said of the taxi company.

Reid Sakowich had a meeting with Blessinger and his attorney recently and said it was a positive one.

"What he's going to do there is obviously repair cars, but it's a business coming to our community," Sakowich said. "It's going to be people who are going to visit our stores, our businesses on Jericho and it's going to help our community move forward."

Ed Powers echoed the sentiment that this business is an additive to the area.

But there were also concerns about traffic in an area near the that in September will also be used by school buses.

"Between people rushing to the train, people trying to get around the tracks, it is just mindboggling," Kathleen Montreuil said of the traffic where the business is. "I don't understand how you're going to have all of that on Covert and Second Avenue."

The South 8th area of the building will be used for parking, Blessinger said.

"We have no intentions of using Village parking spaces along the railroad," said Christopher Gomoka, the company's attorney.

The family who lives next door to the property said that they have observed people using the parking lot next to the building as an area to play ball and drink beer.

"Concerns of the neighbors thinking that there's someone drinking a beer out in the yard, there's nobody parking a car there," Blessinger said. "The car's coming off the truck, it's going in the yard, it's getting prepped and it leaves from there to go into our shop to be lettered and painted. There's not a situation where there's people hanging out after work."