Wantagh dot LI Survey Results, 2003

Wantagh dot LI Survey Results for 2003

2003 December: How would you describe Wantagh's litter situation?

32% Under Control
27% Unacceptable, but improving
41% Unacceptable
(145 responses received)

2003 November: Should additional cell towers be built in the Wantagh Area?

23% Yes, better cell coverage is needed
55% No, the eyesore is not worth it
5% Does not matter
17% Undecided
(114 responses received)

2003 October: Did you grieve your Wantagh property Taxes?

18% Yes, and I was successful
18% Yes, but I was unsuccessful
11% Yes, but I'm still awaiting an answer
43% No, but I plan to
9% No, and I do not plan to
(109 responses received - results do not add up to 100% due to round off)

2003 September: How would you rate the Wantagh Middle school?

61% Excellent
31% Very Good
4% Good
2% Fair
2% Poor
(122 responses received)

2003 August: Should the clock tower on the corner of Wantagh Avenue & Sunrise Highway be restored?

77% Yes, I strongly believe it should
16% Yes, I believe it should
5% It does not matter
0% No, I believe it should not
1% No, I strongly believe it should not
(165 responses received - results do not add up to 100% due to round off)

About two years ago, restoration plans for this aging monument were made by the Wantagh Image Committee, a part of the Wantagh Chamber of Commerce. Unfortunately these efforts stalled due to problems such as inadequate donations and concerns involving the use of public funds on private property. According to Lucy Farinella, chairperson of the Wantagh Image Committee, most of these issues can be resolved, and restoration efforts will soon be underway again. Ms Farinella added that community support is vital to the success of this project. Fortunately, the survey results show, the community is eager to see the renovation become a reality.

2003 July: Should light industry be permitted in Wantagh?

3% Yes, with little or no restrictions
52% Yes, if it does not interfere with residential areas
44% No, industry belongs in industrial parks
2% Not Sure
(179 responses received - results do not add up to 100% due to round off)

2003 June: Should alcohol be served at the Jones Beach Theater?

51% Yes
45% No
4% Not Sure
(186 responses received)

Park officials banned alcohol in 1988 at the Jones Beach Theater, although alcohol is permitted elsewhere on Jones Beach. Concert promoters, Clear Channel Entertainment, had asked for a permit to sell alcohol in a confined area in an arrangement that would have given a percentage of the revenues to the state. However, the state parks commissioner, Bernadette Castro, has denied that request. Castro wrote about her decision in a letter to Denna Cohen (vice president of the LI Chapter of Mothers Against Drunk Driving) "We have always taken pride in our restriction of alcohol sales to the general public, and we believe that families that attend concerts at Jones Beach appreciate this policy and the atmosphere it provides". "Changing the policy at this time raises many serious issues." Apparently our community is divided on this matter.

2003 May: Should Great Neck sewage be sent to Cedar Creek?

2% Yes
88% No
8% Not Sure
2% Don't Care
(225 responses received)

To make room for luxury homes, Great Neck officials proposed a plan to dismantle their sewage treatment plants along Manhasset Bay, and to ship their waste to the Cedar Creek plant for processing. Not surprisingly, a strong majority in our community appears to be against such a plan. For more information, please visit the following links:

Great Neck Proposal to Divert Effluence to Cedar Creek (The Citizen, 2003 March 13)
Great Neck’s Plan to Become Reality at Cedar Creek (The Citizen, 2004 January 15) Post-Survey Update

2003 April: How would you categorize the traffic volume in Wantagh?

56% Heavy, most of the time
26% Heavy, some of the time
18% Moderate
0% Light
(238 responses received)

2003 March: Would the Cedar Creek Power Station affect Wantagh?

67% Yes, it would have a negative affect
9% Yes, it would have a positive affect
13% It would have minimal or no affect
10% Not sure, more information is needed
(172 responses received - results do not add up to 100% due to round off)

To supplement Long Island's power needs, an electric conversion station on an eight-acre site at Cedar Creek was proposed. Electric power would come from New Jersey and Pennsylvania via an underwater cable, and the station would convert the power from DC [direct current] to AC [alternating current]. Power from the station would then be sent to the Newbridge Road substation in Levittown. The project developer, Neptune Regional Transmission Systems, extols many advantages to such a system including low environmental impact, safety and efficiency. However, as our survey results show, a majority in our community is not convinced that the station would be beneficial for the area. For more information about the power station, please visit the following links:

Neptune Lobbies for Electric Conversion Station at Cedar Creek (The Citizen, 2003 January 30)
Residents visit Laern, Northern Ireland (The Citizen, 2003 February 20)

2003 February: How would you rate the Wantagh Beech Street Elementary school?

76% Excellent
14% Very Good
7% Good
1% Fair
3% Poor
(137 responses received - results do not add up to 100% due to round off)

According to its mission statement, the Wantagh Elementary School is dedicated to "the achievement of academic excellence, the development of social skills, and the building of character, responsibility and self esteem". Judging from this survey result, a strong majority in our neighborhood appear to believe that these goals are being achieved.

A special thanks to the team at the Wantagh Beech Street Elementary School!

2003 January: What are your feelings about Wantagh property taxes?

71% Expensive, and unfairly so
21% Expensive, but justifiably so
7% Reasonable
0% Inexpensive
(108 responses received - results do not add up to 100% due to round off)