North Hempstead residents say they are against plan to build new ambulance unit in Lake Success
The new ambulance unit would be built on Cumberland Avenue, a neighborhood some say isn't a good location.
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Many residents are frustrated with a plan by the Manhasset-Lakeview Fire District to build a new ambulance unit in Lake Success.
According to a flyer sent to homeowners in the area, the unit in the district would cost more than $11 million.
Residents are being asked to vote yes on a bond approval for a proposed Cumberland Avenue Ambulance Unit Building to house an EMS company.
Some residents say there is not enough space for a new the ambulance unit, saying the section of Cumberland Avenue is narrow and it would be a challenge to navigate if a new firefighter and the equipment that would come along with it was put there.
"Very hard to get in and out - I think, in terms of accessibility, it's going to be a problem," says Constantin Arama, of North Hempstead. "And besides that, the community, everyone that I spoke with in the neighborhood, nobody wants it here, there's no need for it."
Residents also say they do not feel like they have received enough notice about the proposed plan.
"I feel like this project is being rammed down our throats," says Adrienne Vaultz, of Great Neck. "They are not considering our quality of life, the safety of our children."
Firefighters say the new building would help improve the safety of the community and the first responders who serve in it. They say the location was chosen in part because the fire district already owns the land.
"It's also in a central location for our responsibilities," says Capt. Lee Genser. "We can get to Community Drive, we can get to Lakeville Road, we can get to Northern Boulevard, so it allows us to access the community within a central location in our district."
A special election will be held on the issue on June 6 from 12 p.m. to 9 p.m.
