Vanderbilt Cup Races

Wow.

From The Long Island Aviation County Club, the Motor Parkway and a Hangar

What a beautiful and idyllic stretch of land! Even if it was not a potential, historic sight, it should be left a open land.

From LevittownPatch: Historical Site May Halt Senior Housing Development

Looks real nice in the park/grass setting, I agree tho, fresh paint is needed.

From 1937 Chrysler's Chrysler Awarded People's Choice Award at 2012 Greenwich Concours d'Elegance

John, you are correct. However, there are no remnants of the Parkway remaining.

From An Amazing Aerial of Deepdale Estate and the Marcus Avenue Motor Parkway Bridge in Lake Success

A roadway that runs behind the synagogue, from the parking lot at its southern end to the driveway exit leading onto Lakeville Road, seems to follow the path of the LIMP.

From An Amazing Aerial of Deepdale Estate and the Marcus Avenue Motor Parkway Bridge in Lake Success

thank you for this wonderful picture

From "Roosevelt Field and Ye Motor Parkway" Executed by Artist Eric Sloane

Hi James:

Not really. This area was cleared for road and parking lot construction.

Howard

From An Amazing Aerial of Deepdale Estate and the Marcus Avenue Motor Parkway Bridge in Lake Success

Does anything at all of the original highway exist in that short stretch between the location of the Marcus Ave bridge and where it crosses Lakeville Road?

From An Amazing Aerial of Deepdale Estate and the Marcus Avenue Motor Parkway Bridge in Lake Success

Howard,
  as a long time LIMP aficionado I am appalled. PLease keep us informed when the next date is.

From Developer Makes His Case for a Multiple-Family Housing Complex on the Historic Motor Parkway

Does the developer have a backyard to his property, his home, his place-of-residence? Is it of any historical value? If not, perhaps he could consider building the unit in that space. At some point in any of these discussions aimed at overloading the precious slivers of Long Island and wiping out our Island’s rich historical background the proposition of IN-YOUR-BACKYARD needs to become to rally cry.
Thank you Howard for all of your efforts in these ongoing scenarios.

From Developer Makes His Case for a Multiple-Family Housing Complex on the Historic Motor Parkway

Keep it as original as possible…and…drivable of course.

From 1937 Chrysler's Chrysler Awarded People's Choice Award at 2012 Greenwich Concours d'Elegance

Wow   -  What a great event!!!

From Black Beast Helps Open the Alco Heritage Museum

I also enjoyed the recent article in “Old Cars Weekly”.
I couldn’t decide if the car should be restored or kept original.
Now that I’ve seen several pictures, I think at the very least it should have a
paint job. My opinion.

From 1937 Chrysler's Chrysler Awarded People's Choice Award at 2012 Greenwich Concours d'Elegance

HOWARD, iT IS NICE THAT PEOPLE APPRECIATE SEEING IT AS IS. I FEEL A PEOPLES CHOICE AWARD IS BETTER THAN A JUDGED AWARD SCORED SOLELY ON POINTS.
GENE KENNEDY

From 1937 Chrysler's Chrysler Awarded People's Choice Award at 2012 Greenwich Concours d'Elegance

Ahh the Chrysler has been given CPR and it is rolling again. Just a little paint maybe a few throw pillows and you are ready to go!!! Great progress Howard just great.

From 1937 Chrysler's Chrysler Awarded People's Choice Award at 2012 Greenwich Concours d'Elegance

From Henry:

“My take-aways from the Crocus Estates’ Q&A ‘Advertorial’ at the LPOA, June 12 meeting.

At the foundation of the proposal is the property owner’s request to change the current LPRD single-family residential zoning to C-A ‘Special District’ multi-family and business office zoning. The change in zoning eliminates the current LPRD protective constraints on development type and allows the owner to pursue incongruous projects with greater profit potential. Their current ‘Senior Housing’ proposal is a multi -family, 2-story continuous barrack containing 50-units. This proposal’s results include: • Small, overpriced 1 & 2 bedroom housing units on an under size plot • Bordered on three sides by current resident’s backyards • Single access via a dead-end street • Competitive parking due to inadequate parking both inside & outside complex • Continuous traffic congestion • Challenging property and road maintenance • Convenient dumpsters for refuse • On-site natural gas storage tanks (TBD) • Indefinite future includes the possibility of Section 8 conversion following an unsuccessful offering to the public Crocus Estates is wrong for Levittown. The ‘Senior Housing’ proposal changes the physical character of the residential area, reduces open space and will surely lead to the deterioration of this stable community. No spot zoning and certainly no business should be permitted within this planned suburban community of one-family dwellings.”

From Developer Makes His Case for a Multiple-Family Housing Complex on the Historic Motor Parkway

Hi Colleen:

I believe negotiations broke down when the developer valued the property as if the zoning variances would be granted.

From Developer Makes His Case for a Multiple-Family Housing Complex on the Historic Motor Parkway

Hi Howard,
i thought that Nassau County & Ed Mangano were going to try an use that piece of land as part of the Nassau County Trail that they were proposing to make? I agree it would make a great park/hiking or walking & biking trail. Why don’t they use it for that purpose like they talked about doing some time ago. I hope that they do not build any homes on it lets keep it as open space and preserve it for futur generations to enjoy and maybe even have it noted with a marker where the Motor Parkway Grand Stand was located.

From Developer Makes His Case for a Multiple-Family Housing Complex on the Historic Motor Parkway

From Tom R:

I’m writing due to my continuing interest in the property in Levittown that comprises the former Long Island Motor Parkway.  My interest stems from my having lived adjacent to a portion of that property growing up in Levittown some years ago, and later working with the LPOA on behalf of my mother and father.

The most recent development proposal was from Josato LLC (which I understand to be the successor to Terra Homes).  I believe that the development that is proposed would be profoundly adverse to the interests of all homeowners—not only to those on adjacent properties, but to all Levittown residents, due to the evisceration of the local zoning law (the Levittown Planned Residence District, or “LPRD”) that would be necessary for the development proposal to proceed. 

A development of the type contemplated would require the Planning Commission and other bodies to nullify the LPRD provisions that are intended to (1) provide for health, safety and welfare of residents from risks resulting from increased traffic, as well as inability of fire, sanitation and other services to access properties; (2) ensure the stability of the character of the Levittown neighborhood in its original design as a location for single-family homes; (3) in general, avoid the piecemeal intrusion of non-conforming development in what is a holistically designed—i.e., planned—community.

The deleterious effects on homeowners could be avoided by the use of the LI Motor Parkway land as a park, or even through residential development that is in compliance with LPRD requirements.  I believe that such a conforming use would also honor the spirit in which the LI Motor Parkway was built and used—for the benefit and enjoyment of many, not a handful of developers.

You should note that there is a significant back-history to the sale of this property to Terra Homes in the early 1980s.  If memory serves, the Crocus Lane parcel was acquired by Terra from Nassau County at a knock-down price in the neighborhood of $50,000—the low price being attributable to the limited development that is permitted under the LPRD.  Given the low price paid for the land (which can be verified through County records), any claim that variances are necessary to develop the property profitably should be regarded as nothing more than a falsehood.

Nonetheless, I hope that you and those in attendance will gave a fair but skeptical hearing to all points of view, but bearing in mind that Levittown was created as a special community—for the benefit of those who fought for this country and were lucky enough to return to these shores—and the safety and welfare of residents must always override the private enrichment of a few.

Thank you.

From Developer Makes His Case for a Multiple-Family Housing Complex on the Historic Motor Parkway

Thanks for attending the meeting Howard.  Your historical perspective always provides another view.

From Developer Makes His Case for a Multiple-Family Housing Complex on the Historic Motor Parkway