The Theodore Roosevelt Park Advisory Committee met on Tuesday, Feb. 24 an hour before the regular town board meeting in the town hall hearing room. Councilman Chris Coschignano, committee chair said he has $200,000 as a line item, a discretionary grant in the town budget that is dedicated for capital improvements at the park. "It will be for minor improvements such as more plantings and possibly restoring the Theodore Roosevelt monument at the entrance by the railroad crossing. It's a blank slate," he said.

The decision on what will be done will be decided by the entire group, after a walk through the park in late April or early March. He said that would be in time for the project to be ready for June.

Mr. Coschignano has included in his committee the members of the Oyster Bay Civic Association TR Park subcommittee as well as the town appointed committee members and will send them all notification of when the next meeting will take place. Mr. Coschignano said he was pleased with the amount the town has given them, saying he hoped for $50,000.

Mr. Coschignano gave out an agenda for the meeting that listed topics for discussion that included: security, police presence, and work progress.

The committee is concerned with security at the entrance near the former Oyster Bay train station. They are considering a gate to close the entrance shortly after dark, when the park closes. Mr. Coschignano said a portion of the grant money could be used for a security project.

Charles Doering asked if the fountain could be restored as part of the capital improvements. He said it had eagles on both sides but now, he said the heads have been broken off with a sledge hammer. The eagle's wings went straight up. A large granite piece on top is missing. He said some TOB engineers were looking at it to see what could be done. "A long time ago you could drink from the fountain. It gave you a headache it was so cold," he said. OBCA subcommittee member Fran Leone asked if the water was drinkable, adding that the town had told her to close the fountain on her property, at the same time they closed the fountain located near the entrance to the TOB parking lot behind town hall.

Charles Gaulkin said, "The landscaping is scruffy looking." Mr. Coshignano said the town has a tree expert who will help them with the work.

Mr. Gaulkin asked about the area around the flagpole, he said, "It is ugly and surrounded by asphalt. It should be replaced with bricks and gravel." It originally had a concrete pedestal and flew a flag about 10' x 20'. A large anchor rested on the grass around the flagpole. Mr. Doering added that the asphalt is hot to walk on. "The paths were white granite gravel and were raked on Fridays and Mondays. We loved to ride bikes on it," he said.

Mr. Coschignano said the town might be willing to take out a percentage of the asphalt.

"Who put in the asphalt?" asked Ms. Knight, president of the OBCA. Mr. Coschignano said while he didn't know what happened, he explained that the town sometimes has to complete a contract and the asphalt might be a result of that kind of situation, but he added, he wasn't sure what happened.

Dr. John Gable asked if the work chosen could be a combination of things such as permanent plantings, cleaning up the monument area and "potentially anything that could bring TR back to the park."

Ms. Knight suggested the signage at the park entrances be wood with gold lettering such as what is used in the hamlet. "It should be a welcome to the Oyster Bay Park and not a list of 'don'ts' [things not allowed at the park]," added Mr. Gaulkin.

He brought up the park area dedicated to stones from cities that TR visited and where he lived. "The stones could be redone in a more attractive and educational way."

With lots of ideas coming up in the discussion, Mr. Coschignano said they would have a walk through the park to set their goals.

TRAC member Abraham Poznanski asked it the town's $200,000 grant could be used to raise matching funds from sponsors with something like an adopt-a-spot program. Mr. Coschignano said the town attorney is looking into that possibility.

Charles Doering explained that the Harbor Patrol Bay Constables now work for the town's Parks Department. He asked if they can walk around the park and enforce the rules since they already have a uniform and a badge. They would have to study the park rules. Their schedule includes time off the water so they could take a turn on the water and a turn on land. Rob Walker, deputy commissioner of parks said he thought that was a good idea.

Mr. Doering said the Town of Oyster Bay lost its gas contract with the Oyster Bay Marine Center so there is no gas available at the Roosevelt Marina. As a result the Bay Constables have to go to Huntington to fuel up. Mr. Doering said it was not cost effective to drive that far to fill up, only to return and use up the fuel on the return trip. He suggested Glen Cove would be an easier boat ride away.

Ms. Knight questioned the town's contract with Garrison Security. She said their workers don't have a way to communicate with the police when they need help. POP Police Officer Janice Boyd added the information that there is a police phone at the concession stand that works.

The committee also discussed a greater police presence in the park. Mr. Doering said he would volunteer to build a small booth for them, if the town provided the materials. Fran Leone asked if the park could be limited to township residents only, and Mr. Coschignano said the town attorney is looking into that issue also.

John McCaffrey, an attorney with the town said they can't deny access to the waterfront once they have used federal funds.

Charles Doering said he had tried to get that answer from the town using the Freedom of Information Law (FOIL). He held up a pink slip and a copy of the deed, which he said gave the property for use by town residents. Mr. Doering said his FOIL request was returned saying they have no records available to answer his request.

Mr. McCaffrey said they have already had similar issues to solve in relation to TOBAY and Gilgo Beach and that access cannot be denied. What they can and do, is to charge non-township residents double the parking fees. He said they also have a problem with Florence Avenue Park in Massapequa, adding, "You have free access to Central Park."

Mr. McCaffrey said from San Diego to Oakland you can walk the California shoreline along the high tide area. He said the Massapequa Preserve can be walked up to the 8 ft. high tide mark.

Still, Mr. Coschignano said he would look into the details of park access saying that they can make it harder for nonresidents (non-taxpayers) to use the park. "If we can, there is still the question of how we do it," he said.

Dr. Gable said in the '70s the TRA lifted all the restrictions on access.

OBCA member Maria Bohm said in Greenwich, Connecticut residents tried to limit access to their waterfront area and people proved they had been using the facilities for 10 years and Greenwich lost the case.

Mr. Coschignano said he would get the information in writing to the entire committee.

Interestingly, Ms. Bohm said there is a sign at Fireman's Field saying that only people with TOB stickers can use the field for parking. The lot, over the years, has been used by people who park there and walk into the park without paying any fees.