Mayor Ekstrand On Potential Snowstorm, Village Green Trees & More

FARMINGDALE, NY — Farmingdale Mayor Ralph Ekstrand delved into a variety of topics in his latest news release, including a potential snowstorm next week, the trees at the Village Green, the winners of the 2020 Farmingdale Holiday Lights Contest, and more.

A coastal storm could bring 6 or more inches of snow to Long Island late Sunday night into Tuesday, the National Weather Service said in a hazardous weather outlook issued for the region.

Ekstrand could declare a snow emergency for Farmingdale Village when there are more than 2 inches of snow on the ground. Parking one's vehicle is prohibited on all public highways for an 18-hour period if a snow emergency is declared, according to the village code. Should a snowstorm hit, Ekstrand asked those in a residential neighborhood to remove their cars from the street so the village's Department of Public Works crew can effectively clean the snow. Cars left in the street are subject to ticketing when snow emergencies are declared.

"So please remember during snowstorms to try to park cars off the streets (even on a Lawn) so DPW crews can do their job plowing curb-to-curb, and also clear fire hydrants near homes," Ekstrand said. "Safety and effective snow clearing are priorities — thank you in advance for your cooperation."

The public works department works to clear the village's roads and parking lots to make roadways passable and ensure the business district can open, as well as help commuters get to work as quickly as possible.

"We thank all of the DPW staff for their tireless efforts and truly appreciate their hard work and dedication!" Ekstrand said.

Three large trees were recently taken down at the Village Green. The decision was made due to the damage the trees sustained during Tropical Storm Isaias in August. The trees lost several large limbs and branches. The trees were evaluated for their condition and safety by H. Edward Olsen, a licensed and certified arborist. They could not be saved and were taken down. The Farmingdale Village Board of Trustees, with the help of a professional landscape design professional, will look at tree replacement and landscape options that best suit the Village Green, Ekstrand said.

The mayor shared the winners of the Farmingdale 2020 Holiday Lights Contest.

• 1st place - 7 Normandy Dr.
• 2nd place - 123 Lockwood Ave.
• 3rd place - 34 Sterns Court
• 4th place - 55 Vandewater St.
• 5th place - 18 Plainview Road

Ekstrand thanked The Law Offices of Anthony Addeo, Weichert Realtors of Farmingdale and Priestley Chiropractic for sponsoring the contest.

Farmingdale Village Hall remains closed to the public due to the increase in positive coronavirus cases. The staff will be in the office from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday to answer phone calls and emails. The Village Hall number is 516-249-0093, while the court number is 516-293-2292. Emails are listed on the village's website. Residents are asked to mail payments or use the drop box to the left of the front door. In case of an emergency, residents are asked to call the Fire Department dispatch number at 516-531-9820.

Village Hall could reopen to the public on March 1, Ekstrand said.

Regarding the Route 109 repaving, a letter was sent to New York State Senator Kevin Thomas’ Office. His office has been in contact with the state's Department of Transportation. Both Thomas's office and Farmingdale Village will keep an eye on the repaving project's progress. The Department of Transportation will keep Thomas's office informed of any issues, and the village will update residents.

Farmingdale residents in December made their voices heard when they criticized the state's job of repaving Route 109. Critiques were made of the east/southbound lane, and complaints were made that the west/north half is scheduled to not be repaved until spring.

The $4.1 million Route 109 project, part of a $151 million state initiative, was originally announced by Gov. Andrew Cuomo in January 2020.