The Village of East Hills board of trustees has voted to confirm that Wednesday, Oct. 8 will be the date of a referendum on a $17 million bond act used to finance the village's proposed Park at East Hills.

Voting will take place from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Oct. 8 at the East Hills Village Hall, located at 209 Harbor Hill Road.

On Tuesday, Sept. 16, the village held the second of its "Public Information Sessions" at the Roslyn Middle School.

As with the meeting that took place the previous night, most of the residents who spoke favored park construction. Many of the reasons for their support were similar to those given by speakers at the Monday night meeting: The park would be a meeting place for people of all ages, plus a place that creates a sense of community in the village.

Opponents of the park were allowed to have their say. They questioned the need for such a park, noting that the East Hills area contains parks with similar facilities. They also expressed concern over the costs, in both the short and long term, of such a park.

Among the park's supporters were Sandra Samuels and Arline Rutzky, two local real estate agents. Ms. Samuels called the park "one of the most exciting opportunities" the village has faced in recent years, while Ms. Rutzky, while also claiming that a park would increase property values, praised the village for having "the most fiscally responsible and prudent government" in all of Nassau County.

But most of the residents who expressed support for the park did so on grounds that it would add greatly to a sense of community in the village. Judy Goldberg said the park would bring an extra "vitality to the community." Marla Lehder called the park a "win-win situation," adding that the park would have "something for everybody." Howard Kruplik said he especially liked the scaled-down version of the park. "It reinforces a feeling of community," he said.

Continuing on the same theme, Anne Rombom said the park would perform a "communal service" to the community. "East Hills is a wonderful place to live," she said. "And the park can only add to that."

Another supporter, Janet Goldenberg, said the park would be about "more than a swimming pool." It would also be a place for children to go and "sit on the grass." She praised the BOT for its work on the park. "You can't make everyone happy," she said. "I hope it [the park] goes through."

Peter Wagner said the East Hills area was, in fact, short of fields and could use what the park had to offer. In addition, East Hills needed the park for that same sense of community. The park, he concluded, would be "the best thing to happen to the village since it was founded."

Meanwhile, Carolyn Horowitz, while supporting the park, said she hoped that the park in addition to being a "peaceful place to walk [and] sit" would also be accessible to the physically challenged.

Among those who questioned a practical use for the park was Brian Tyler. He noted that park pools in other villages are, in time, seldom used and forced to shut down. "People who want a swimming pool have their own pools in their backyards," he said. Tyler observed that all the local schools already have ballfields, as does the newly built Harbor Links, which in addition to ballfields, is home to a new golf course. Tyler also said that the additional tax burden might drive potential home buyers away from the area.

Irving Chernofsky also expressed concern over a "negative effect" on village taxes. Art Chase questioned the total costs of the project, including its construction and maintenance. Echoing Brian Tyler, he added that tennis courts are available for East Hills residents all throughout the area, including the tennis club in the village and courts at Roslyn High School.

Leo Spandoff said he had "mixed up feelings" about the situation. He applauded the village on the land acquisition, but he worried that a park would bring more traffic to Harbor Hill Road. The village, he said, "needs a policy that will govern the park," something that Mayor Koblenz assured the speaker would be in place.

Finally, David Hofenbach wanted to know how the park's proposed dog run could be utilized. Would a resident simply put the dog in his car, drive to the park, keep a leash on it and walk it around? The answer, from village officials, was, yes, that's exactly how a dog run would be used.

Before the residents spoke, East Hills Mayor Michael R. Koblenz gave his own slide show presentation.

In order to make the park idea more economically feasible, village officials decided on an all-outdoor park, eliminating such amenities as an indoor pool, a hockey rink, and scoreboards and dugouts for the ballfields. He reiterated earlier reasons for holding a bond vote now, including the fact that both interest rates are the lowest they have been in 40 years and bond rates are the "lowest as they could possibly be."

The mayor also said the park would represent a large upgrade over present conditions. "Where slabs of concrete and barbed wire stand, there will be the trees, flowers, and the best nature has to offer," he said.

Speaking about criticism of the park that was leveled in the Monday night meeting, the mayor said that the planned amphitheater would never be home to "rock concerts," but instead would be a "Tanglewood" in East Hills, offering family entertainment.