Even as Republican Oyster Bay Town Supervisor John Venditto and Democratic Councilwoman Bonnie Eisler work together for a bi-partisan water protection plan for Oyster Bay, Councilman Anthony Macagnone weighs in on the side of the development-at-any-cost crowd. (Letters to the Editor, July 29)

The supervisor and councilwoman are considering a limited, one-year moratorium on new development in the state-designated special groundwater protection area - one of only two in all of Nassau County. They are also considering an aquifer protection overlay protection district to protect underground drinking water supplies and a water management plan that may include acquisition of sensitive water recharge areas.

Macagnone disagrees. First he trots out the developers' time-worn, song and dance about how residential development is important to a stable economy. Nonsense. Everyone knows that the cost of providing government services - school, roads, police protection, etc. - exceeds the income generated by new taxes. In Macagnone's view, the construction of a 270 unit housing project on the 81-acre Underhill property in Jericho would be good for taxpayers and the economy even if it would be deadly for the environment. Is he kidding? Show me high density development and I'll show you big time taxes.

Then he has the unmitigated gall to say that Oyster Bay town government is already protecting drinking water through "reasonable and orderly planning and development," and a "comprehensive review process for all proposals for development." This, less than a month after a state appeals court blasted the town's lack of review before rezoning the Underhill property, claiming that "One might reasonably query whether town officials were really ever concerned about the environmental effects of the proposed development."

It is clear that Macagnone is nothing but an apologist for those who would finish paving over the last remaining open space in Nassau County without regard for a need as basic as protecting a supply of pure fresh drinking water for our children and grandchildren. His position is downright shameful.

Joseph H. Lorintz, Executive Director

Long Island Drinking Water Coalition