Town Formally Adjourns Meeting on the Wang Property

The Massapequa Town Board officially voted Tuesday to adjourn a public meeting on a plan to develop property in Plainview owned by Charles Wang.

A public hearing on the application of Plainview  Properties LLC and Beechwood POB LLC was set to be held last month, but was cancelled.

"The public hearing was adjourned because there was concern among a significant part of the community that they didn't have time to prepare," Town Supervisor john Venditto said. "The one thing I don't want to hear when I'm sitting here is, "i didn't have a full and fair opportunity.'"

Officials would not give a timetable for rescheduling meeting, which had been set for a middle school in Plainview to accommodate crowds.

"When we do have the hearing, I suspect it will be quite lively," Venditto said. "It seems to be a community divided in many different ways."

Although several people signed up to speak about the matter Venditto discouraged any in depth discussions until the hearing is held.

Jon Greenfield the owner of a local supermarket had intended to speak about his plans should the application be accepted, but decided not to speak when Venditto encouraged him to wait for the hearing.

One person who did speak was matthew Sack of the Plainview Old Bethpage Soccer Club, which uses a field on the Wang site.

Sack said the club supports the development and complained about fliers being passed out at soccer games by the group Concerned citizens of Plainveiw-Old Bethpage, which opposes the plan.

"They don't speak for the soccer club," Sack said."We have met with the town and we have met with Beechwood several times. We have made great progress. The town's been more than supportive, Beechwood's been outstanding."

Venditto told Sack, who expressed concerns about litter, he'd "rather not see soicitation going on at the site during games."

"I think maybe we can talk to the various interests," he said. "You've got the internet, you've got direct mail, you can go door to door, you can stand in shopping centers. I kind shopping centers, I kind of think it doesn't belong at the site."