Keeping the Floral Park Railroad station commuter friendly and aesthetically pleasing for residents is a priority on Mayor Ann Corbett's busy agenda. Recent hazards at the site prompted the village to write the Long Island Railroad (LIRR) in hopes of having such conditions improved and rectified.

Although improvements have been made in the past, Mayor Corbett, during a recent station walk-through, noticed several problems, including blue stone found near the east side of Tulip Avenue to the east side of South Tyson Avenue.

"This is a hazard to pedestrians using the area and has been reported to the LIRR authorities in the past. However, it has not been remedied," Village Administrator Ginny Appel wrote in the June 3 letter, under the direction of Mayor Corbett, to LIRR Acting President James Dermody.

The letter continued, stating, "It is my understanding that this section does not contain the necessary wire mesh to prevent falling objects. Please install additional mesh from the east side of Tulip Avenue to the east side of South Tyson Avenue."

Dermody responded, stating, "Our Engineering Department has informed me that the ballast stone that was falling from the viaduct has been corrected and is no longer falling. The viaduct concrete column had had all the loose concrete removed and is in the process of being repaired. Our Engineering-Structures Department will have all repairs completed by July 31."

Appel also noted other concerns, including the rusty and unattractive overhangs. "Other stations have had their canopies replaced with more attractive, modern canopies. Would it be possible for our stairway areas to be refurbished to enhance the station?" she asked.

According to Dermody, the LIRR's Engineering Department was asked to inspect the stairway overhangs and come up with a solution to make them more aesthetically appealing to customers. "It may be as simple as applying a new fresh coat of paint on the canopies," he said.

These conditions, which Mayor Corbett said were present off and on for several months, specifically concerned her because she originally thought the LIRR was trying to rectify the problem with putting the mesh up only on one side. "They didn't put it up on the other side and I didn't quite understand why." The mayor, who writes the LIRR periodically, said she sent railroad officials pictures of the noted concerns and saw the hazards firsthand.

A deteriorating cement column as well as scratched and graffitied plexi-glass windows in the station's waiting room are other concerns that the mayor feels require immediate restoration. Dermody noted that the plexi-glass windows in the upper waiting room were replaced in 2002 and will be re-inspected and replaced, if necessary.

Nothing has been rectified as of yet but Mayor Corbett said, "As far as the mesh goes, I haven't seen any droppings of any blue stone. But, of course, the pigeons are roosting right over Tulip Avenue."

Spikes were placed at various locations to prevent roosting. However, the overpass at Tulip Avenue was not part of the program. "As a result, pigeons roost over Tulip Avenue and the street and sidewalks are filthy," Appel noted in the letter. "Cleaning will not solve this problem, spikes or netting must be installed."

Also bringing that to the LIRR's attention, Corbett said she's frustrated because she can't do anything about the pigeons and when she asked LIRR officials if they could, they informed her that they have tried to control pigeons in a variety of different ways. But because the New York State Department of Transportation mandates the LIRR to perform structural inspections, they are not permitted to seal or install barriers or any pigeon control devices under bridges and trestles due to the nature and the specifics associated with the required inspections.

"Our status as a state agency obligates us to find an effective, yet humane, deterrent. We have been testing several types of environmentally friendly pigeon deterrents throughout our system, having had some success with an anti-roosting device that consists of clear, plastic spikes installed on potential roosting surfaces," Dermody said.

The mayor noted that the village is going to do something to rectify the roosting problem and is in the process of figuring out an appropriate remedy.