(Washington, DC) - Following a meeting with high-level decision makers from the United States Postal Service, U.S. Rep. Gary Ackerman (D-Queens/L.I.) together with North Hempstead Town Supervisor Jon Kaiman and representatives from Senators Hillary Clinton and Charles Schumer’s office, today set Wednesday, September 26 as the deadline for the Great Neck School Board to move forward with the plan to sell to the town, its vacant property on Watermill Lane in Great Neck, if the town is to then swap this land with the Postal Service’s site on East Shore Road.

Failure of the board to agree to sell the site to the Town of North Hempstead at a mutually satisfactory price and to consent to a referendum on the matter in November’s election by this Wednesday will result in losing the opportunity to swap the property.

All knew five months ago this was extremely time sensitive as the Postal Service was anxious to build on the waterfront land it owns but was willing to cooperate with the Congressman’s office if an alternate site could be determined and agreed to before the end of the fiscal year, September 30. At that time, soon-to-be Mayor of Great Neck Ralph Kreitzman identified the property owned but unutilized by the school district.

But in not meeting in July or August, they have in-effect, just about run out the clock.

“It’s time to fish or cut bait” Ackerman said. “We’ve persuaded the Postal Service to agree to a land swap but the school board has failed to strike a deal with the town. If the school board is serious about unloading this unused property, they must act immediately. We cannot string the Post Office along any longer and risk spending more taxpayer dollars if the school board has no intention of making this deal happen.”

If they agree to a price with the town by Wednesday, the town must negotiate with the Postal Service, sending the voter referendum, so if approved by the voters, we will be ready to sign. 

The Village of Great Neck and Town of North Hempstead have sought to use the Postal Service’s property on East Shore Road—set to be a postal carrier annex—as part of its plan to develop the waterfront along Manhasset Bay. The school board expressed interest in selling its Watermill Lane lot to the Town so that it could trade the properties with the Postal Service. But the board has failed to follow through on the sale and the Postal Service must move forward by Wednesday when funding for the project—due to the end of its fiscal year—runs out.

If the school board agrees to the sale and referendum within the next two days, Postal officials and the Town would enter into serious negotiations on the land swap so that the property would be ready before Election Day. Ackerman, Clinton and Schumer’s office would work to roll-back funding for the project within a reasonable amount of time so that money to build the carrier annex would not be lost.

Ackerman noted that the Town has offered the school board approximately $2 million for the property. In addition, the board cannot build on the land without the town’s approval.

Postal officials attending the meeting—which took place in Ackerman’s office in Bayside—included Henry Burmeister, New York Manager of the Facilities Service Office, Great Neck Postmaster Mary Jocobini, Ed Rudolph, Post Office Operations Manager – Triboro District, George Schramm, Architect/Engineer – New York Facilities Service Office and Kathy Sitterle, Postal Service Government Relations for New York State. Representing Senator Clinton’s office was Lauren Montes. Matt Cohen represented Senator Schumer’s office. 
 

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