Legislator Blames Hochul's 'Lack Of Planning' At UBS Arena

ELMONT, NY — Despite the Islanders' opening weekend losses, there is plenty of excitement in the air for their new home UBS Arena at Belmont Park.

However, Nassau County Legislator Carrie Solages, who represents the Elmont community, refuses to support the venue until the neighborhood is properly recognized.

"It's a very important time for Gov. Hochul to distinguish herself from her predecessor," Solages told Patch.

Solages claims the project was speedy and not done in detail, and he stands in opposition as "it did not include a community benefits agreement."

The legislator said he receives calls or messages from several constituents regarding traffic, pollution and garbage that have been made worse for residents since the arena brought in thousands of fans nightly. The Islanders opened the arena on Saturday.

Those quality-of-life issues were left out of the deal due to "lack of planning by the governor" and other elected officials who had jurisdiction on green-lighting the project, S0lages said.

"For nearly two years the Belmont Redevelopment Project underwent a rigorous transparent public review process that included a dozen public meetings and hearings, as well as ongoing conversations and input from local officials, community members and the project’s Community Advisory Committee to address the community’s needs," Will Burns, spokesperson for the state's Empire State Development, said in a statement. "This inclusive process, ultimately, made for a better final product that has delivered significant wins for the community, including 10,000 construction jobs, the first new LIRR station in almost 50 years and two rehabilitated local public parks."

While Solages admits some jobs were created by the building of the UBS Arena, "the cost on the community is greater, far outweighs the benefits." he said.

The LIRR did unveil a new Elmont train station within walking distance or a shuttle bus to the arena.

"The county executive has failed to provide that plan. I'm hoping that the next county executive, Mr. Blakeman, will be able to," Solages said.

Another proposal that Solages claims has fallen on deaf ears is providing tax incentives to small business owners along Hempstead Turnpike.

Solages does credit the developers for rehabilitating Elmont Road Park; however other promises remain unfulfilled.

"They've made specific assurances regarding a community center and a plan regarding traffic and pollution. Those have yet to be addressed," he said.