Board Approves $2M in Capital Project Bonds, Greenlights Kasey's Rooftop Bar

The Rockville Centre Village Board met on Monday night and unanimously approved an extension to that will allow the Park Avenue eatery to construct a rooftop bar under certain guidelines and restrictions. The board also approved $2 million in bonding for capital projects for 2011.

Village Attorney Tom Levin detailed the restrictions for the rooftop bar before the board voted, which included: no live music from midnight to 9 a.m., patrons must be off the roof by 2 a.m.; all utensils, glass and bottles must be paper or plastic; the age limit is 25 and older (though if it used for a private party, those under 25 are allowed); it may not have any portable space heaters; can only be open from March 15 to Dec. 15, and the owners must use a PD-approved ID scanner to ensure that everyone is over 25.

Trustee David Krasula said he, along with other residents whom he spoke to, had reservations about the noise and impact of the rooftop bar on the neighboring residents. He explained that the village's nightlife in general can be, "sometimes a disruptive issue," but the board unanimously approved the project.

The board also approved bonding $2 million in upcoming capital projects which included: refurbishing the basketball courts at Centennial Park, purchasing a new fire police vehicle (the one being replaced is 20-plus years old) as well as two Department of Public Work vehicles, replacing the fuel tanks on Sunrise Highway and updating the village's computer accounting system.

Trustee Kevin Glynn was opposed to bonding for the new computer accounting system – it could cost in upwards of $200,000 — because he said he is unsure of how much savings, if any, the village would have by upgrading to the new system. The system currently in place is more than two decades old, and Krasula said bond interest rates  are the lowest in years, so it would be a prudent move to bond the project. Mayor Mary Bossart pointed out that even if the village bonds a project, it doesn't necessarily have to spend the money if the board deems it a poor investment.

The meeting began with a $7,500 check presentation to the board by Joan McNaughton, Jeanne Mulry and Catherine Muscente, who through fundraising efforts with the Enchanted Winterland Committee, collected the money and donated it to the RVC Community Fund. That fund goes to help village families who are financially strapped or burdened and may need a helping hand.

RVC Police Commissioner Charles Gennario promoted Police Officer Randy Dodd to the rank of Sergeant, and swore in the newest member of the department, Michael Stahlhut. Dodd, a Long Beach native, joined the RVC PD in 1997. Gennario said Dodd consistently leads the department in arrests and productivity, and is also a cancer survivor. "He is an inspiration to all of us," Gennario said.

Stahlhut comes to the village as a five-and-a-half-year veteran of the New York Police Department. Gennario pointed out that Stahlhut, while attending Penn State University, was an NCAA championship fencer.