is amidst a major change in their parking system that will affect patrons.
The existing ramp garage on NUMC's campus is "old and in disrepair," according to the hospital's spokesperson Shelley Lotenberg. In response to that issue, officials have decided to install temporary stackers on the Carman Avenue side of the hospital. The two-level system will open up additional spaces for people who were using the garage.
"It is too expensive for us to rebuild a new ramp garage at this time, thus, we are entering into phase one involving temporary parking solutions with stackers on the western side of our campus," Lotenberg said.
Visitors will still have to pay a fee to use the stackers, and employees will have their cars parked for free. Employees must give their keys to a valet upon arrival.
Starting in July, officials will be redirecting traffic around the perimeter road of the campus into a one-way road, changing the flow of internal traffic, and temporary signage created to direct visitors. Surface parking in other lots will be created to accommodate the parking needs for employees and visitors.
The second phase of our interim parking solutions will involve the demolition of the existing ramp garage and the resurfacing of that land into surface parking. The third phase, in the future, will include the possibility of a new parking structure on the campus.
"We are confident that through the diligent efforts of our operations and support teams, we will work out any bumps in the road during this temporary parking solution phase," Lotenberg said.
Some residents have expressed concern that the ramps are not pleasant to look at, but Legis. Norma Gonsalves, R-East Meadow, says that the ramp garage "definitely needs to be replaced."
"If a need has to be addressed, and this is how they decide to address it, it's their jurisdiction to do that," Gonsalves said.
