January 26, 2021
Dear Neighbors,
I hope you had a safe and enjoyable holiday season. I wanted to take this opportunity to update you on the application for a Harley Davidson motorcycle dealership proposed at 1324 Jericho Turnpike.
The applicant has formally withdrawn the application. Regrettably, the Harley Davidson dealership that made the application has gone out of business.
Harley Davidson motorcycle sales have been declining for some time. Harley Davidson CEO, Jochen Zeitz has employed a strategy to decrease the number of dealerships. According to a recent Wall Street Journal article, Mr. Zeitz is paying poor performing dealerships hundreds of thousands of dollars to close. Miracle Mile Harley Davidson in Great Neck was the dealership that was to relocate to New Hyde Park.
While the application process was long, and at times, contentious, I commend the Board of Trustees for their wisdom and patience in fully exploring the possible environmental impacts of the proposed project. The Village turned documents promptly and within the requirements prescribed by law. The Village Board’s comprehensive review of the application ensured that all possible environmental issues were identified and addressed.
Conversely, a hasty approval of the project without securing many of the mitigations we did obtain may have resulted in significant environmental impacts to the surrounding area. During my own due diligence, I visited the Great Neck site on several occasions to observe the operations and its effect on the residents. I rang doorbells and spoke to neighbors. The experiences they related to me by those residents was not favorable.
The health and development of our commercial and industrial districts is vital to the economic health of New Hyde Park and of the property values of our homes. Looking forward, the Village Board is close to contracting with a firm that will help build a comprehensive master plan. Among the deliverables of this team is to collect the data and provide the analysis to guide property owners on what businesses are in demand and have the greatest probability of success. The analysis will be reviewed against an exhaustive community outreach to understand what uses are harmonious with residents’ desires for New Hyde Park.
We look forward to beginning the process.
Sincerely,
Lawrence J. Montreuil
Mayor, Village of New Hyde Park