By Joe Scotchie

At its May meeting, the Village of Roslyn joined other municipalities on Long Island in approving a Verizon cable television franchise for the village.

With the agreement, residents of Roslyn can choose between Verizon and Cablevision for the cable service they want for their homes.

The agreement was finalized when the board of trustees and representatives for Verizon worked out a provision in which no liability charges could be brought against the village over cable service problems.

Several years ago, the Village of Massapequa Park became the first municipality in Long Island to offer their residents such a choice in cable services. Other villages, including East Hills, have followed suit.

In other news, the village has forwarded the findings statement and site plan review of the B.I.T.I. residential housing proposal to Nassau County officials for further review.

County officials will look at the site plan and in time, offer their own findings and recommendations on the proposal.

The B.I.T.I. plan entails the construction of 80 luxury residential townhouse units on land off Skillman Street, acreage that was the focus of the Stop & Shop controversy of the mid-1990s.

In the past, residents and community groups have raised questions about the proposal, ranging from traffic concerns to property values, plus the planned demolition of three houses on Skillman Street and environmental issues, including how the proposed development might affect the downtown landscape.

More specifically, members of the Roslyn Landmark Society have claimed that the demolition of the three houses would "destroy" the "fragile historic fabric" of the neighborhood in question. Landmark Society members have also expressed their willingness to work with both the village and developers to ensure the preservation of the houses.

All throughout the various controversies, Tulio Bertoli, lead architect for the project, has maintained that "Roslyn Landing" would provide for many positive amenities, including a friendly walking environment, waterfront revitalization, an amenity plaza, and a public promenade toward the Roslyn Viaduct.

The units, he added, would be three stories in height. That, Bertoli claimed, would "minimize the impact on Main Street." In all, the project would allow for 183 parking spaces for the development, plus 31 spaces for Aqua Blue, the location of the old Taverna restaurant. The Roslyn Water District would handle all sewage operations, while B.I.T.I. personnel would provide for an on-site sanitation collection.