Island Properties plan for Oyster Bay is almost ready to be unveiled. That was the statement of Island Properties President Abraham Poznanski at the Oct. 25 meeting of the Main Street Association of Oyster Bay. It was said as Mr. Poznanski discussed the three phases of the IP plans.

He said they have been studying the history of the 60 to 70 properties they now own, and doing structural reviews to know what they want to do next.

"I'm not announcing the plan. If you see what MSA (Main Street Association) dreams of you'll see what we want," he said.

"We are reaching out to new businesses. The town needs entrepreneurs, people who want to create businesses. We need things to bring children into the town."

He said they are working to bring in Not Just Art, a business now located in Cold Spring Harbor. Her lease is up shortly and she will be relocating in Oyster Bay. She brings in 400 people a week for programs like Mommy & Me. "We are close to bringing it to town," he said. It means 400 mothers and their children coming to the village. Not Just Art offers art and music type of classes for children that parents can often attend.

"Hopefully they will stay to have lunch and shop. Everything we do has a ripple effect," said Mr. Poznanski.

He took a philosophical stance and said: "This is totally personal. Obviously these are trying times. My personal view is that God puts us here to try to make a better place.

"If we can stop people from pointing fingers at each other we can do things.

"God will smile at us and this will be a better place."

Mr. Poznanski said he wears three hats: as president of IP; a board member of the MSA and as a member of the Town of Oyster Bay Quality Communities Steering Committee.

Mr. Poznanski said to save confusion between the several plans being discussed in town, there is only one plan: the Town of Oyster Bay plan that has been put together using the input of all the various stakeholders in the community including the MSA, FOB (Friends of the Bay), the OB Chamber of Commerce as well as government officials.

He said the IP (Island Properties) website has details of the IP Market Study and Survey, including their parking studies.

Mr. Poznanski said the MSA is in sync with IP. He is familiar with the concepts of the Main Street Association nationally and their goals for preservation of towns. He said the two were synergistic. "By working through the MSA, we have an opportunity to bring in all members of the community and by reaching out to other property owners: homeowners and commercial property owners. We can put our plans to work if other business people come along."

Mr. Poznanski said "We didn't start with a plan. We started out with a vision. Charles Wang is a man of vision, he and Sanjay Kumar saw things they didn't like, the growth of strip malls, businesses going out, the commercial area run down and losing its character: they felt they wanted to step up to the plate and help."

He said their coming into the picture was a catalyst that started things going that resulted in the Town of Oyster Bay's planning steering committee.

The vision, he said has three phases. The first one was the acquisition phase, when they bought about 60 to 70 properties: a critical mass of properties to make a difference, he said. They are still in the process of buying some properties, he said, as a result of people coming to them to sell.

The second phase was the open planning phases. That is now coming to a close. He said the work of the steering committee and the help of leaders in the community have added to the plan. "Marie Knight is a catalyst. People should appreciate her efforts," said Mr. Poznanski.

During the question and answer section, Charles Gaulkin asked Mr. Poznanski about an article in the Oct. 25 issue of the Oyster Bay Enterprise Pilot about the Commander Oil lawsuit. Mr. Gaulkin said, "I'm glad to see in the Enterprise Pilot, you quoted as saying the proposal to dredge is not necessary. I hope to hear you confirm it. It says IP is in conflict with dredging."

Mr. Poznanski said Commander Oil has had a seven-year lawsuit over a property owner's rights.

He said "Commander Oil doesn't own the terminal so it is not an issue. We have no intention to dredge."

There was applause from the listeners.

Hazel Weiser, who came here from California, where she saw a restoration project work in her town offered praise for the plans that are evolving.

"In the aftermath of what is happening," in the larger world, she said, "Children need a sense of place, a sense of geographic unity. It is so important for kids. It will be a way to get families involved - so this can be a safe place to be. So children can be downtown, and if they misbehave, we can get a telephone call home to tell us," she said.

That was the way Oyster Bay worked several decades ago.