Community Activist To Town Board "Enforce Town Code"

Ms. Gary addressing Smithtown Town Board members Jan. 7th“Walk softly and carry a big stick” may have been the policy of the 26th U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt, but almost one hundred years after his death (1919), it is making a come back and has become the policy of members of the Old Northport Road / Lawrence Road Task Force. Members of the task force work vigilantly to protect their community from rogue business practices. At last week’s town board meeting task force member Michelle Gary addressed town board members, politely and intelligently. She explained the objectives of the task force, “We want the town to enforce current zoning. We don’t want it changed or new zoning, we want the current zoning enforced”.  

The big stick?  The voice of residents, voters, alliances between organizations, and the tenaciousness of home owners who are highly motivated to protect their homes, families and quality of life. The message is simple: businesses need to play by the rules and Smithtown needs to enforce them.  At last week’s meeting Ms. Gary announced a new affiliation. The task force has become a registered  Neighborhood Watch Group. This national organization, once known for providing neighbors with strategies for preventing crime, has evolved into an organization that also helps residents “combat the negative impacts of business and industry”said Gary. 

The Old Northport Rd./Lawrence Rd. Task Force along with the Kings Park Civic Association, Commack Community Association and the Fort Salonga Civic Association all have a stake in the *solutions for this corridor that at times has been referred to as the ‘wild west’.  A lightly tethered alliance has formed to resolve issues in the area that include abusive land mining, dumping, storage, environmental concerns, odors, large trucks in residential areas, hours of operation, zoning, etc..   

How successful the task force will be remains to be seen. Armed with cameras and video equipment task force members have documented illegal business practices and presented their findings to the Smithtown Town Board, Town Attorney and Public Safety. They respectfully argue that before any consideration is given to changing zoning in the area, businesses need to be compliant with current town law.  Individually, some members put a great deal of effort in the November election hoping to get a board sympathetic to “residents”. Newly elected Councilwoman Lynne Nowick is seen as a swing vote.  Ms. Gary’s appearance at the board’s first meeting of the year was used to restate the goals and objectives of the task force.

Mike Cox and Attorney V. Trimarco make presentation to Kings Park Civic AssociationSmithtown’s Board of Zoning Appeals (BZA) will meet tonight (BZA Meeting Tuesday, Jan. 14). On its agenda is an application for a zone change for a business on Old Northport Road. Property owner, Mr. Michael Cox, made a presentation before the Kings Park Civic Association on January 9th and acknowledged that he, along with many of the businesses along Old Northport Rd, is in violation of certain parts of Smithtown Town Code. In the audience was Ms. Gary listening, asking insightful questions, always respectful. When questioned after the meeting about her thoughts on the Cox proposal she reiterated the position of the Old Northport Rd/Lawrence Rd. Task Force, “We want the town to enforce its current code.” 

*article amended the word “finding”was removed.