ALERT: Light Pollution Threat in Downstate New York

Evening view of the newly renovated Nassau County Coliseum in Long Island’s Hempstead Township. Image credit: IBEW Local 25.

For our readers, members and subscribers in lower New York State and the greater Tri-State area.

A proposal has been made to integrate a Las Vegas style resort and casino into the storied Nassau Coliseum, potentially leading to the demolition of the coliseum. The Nassau Coliseum is just a few blocks from Hofstra University, where construction is underway to install a research grade telescope alongside plans to expand the University’s academic offerings in astronomy and community outreach. Berliner Hall at Hofstra is also host to Stars on Sunday for the public. The venue is part of NASA’s Night Sky Network with the monthly event hosted by the Amateur Observers Society of New York.

Light pollution from this new resort and casino could easily reach most of Nassau County and further degrade the skies there and well into western Suffolk County and lower Connecticut.

Modern Lighting Solutions

While there is no reason why the public shouldn’t benefit from such an enhancement, no reason exists why the nighttime sky and quality of life should be further degraded from where it already is now. Modern lighting solutions from full-cutoff lighting fixtures to timed, motion-sensitive technologies are available and widely used and should be broadly deployed here even if this proposal isn’t brought to fruition.

According to sources close to the story, the window for public input and commentary is limited so, please, if you live within 50 kilometers of the Nassau Coliseum or Hofstra University, please make your voice heard. The local newspaper is Newsday and they welcome “Letters to the Editor”.

Address Public Comments to
Christopher Ostuni
Majority Counsel
Nassau County Legislature
1550 Franklin Avenue
Mineola, NY 11501
(516) 571-2550

If you’re a constituent, contact your local government representative in Hempstead Township, Nassau County or at their department agencies or offices. For public comments, please see above. While contacting your Congressional Representative would be helpful from a publicity standpoint, it would be largely ineffective. This is not a federal matter where your Congressional Representative would have standing or would be in a position to act on your behalf, outside of a message of support sent to your local government official.

For some context, the following is an excerpt from the Coliseum’s Wikipedia page:

Sands New York
Location	Uniondale, New York, United States
Opening date	TBD
No. of rooms	1,670
Casino type	Resort
Operating license holder	Las Vegas Sands
Website	https://sandsnewyork.com/

In 2023, the Las Vegas Sands entertainment company submitted a bid to lease the property of the Nassau Coliseum and construct an integrated resort, consisting of a casino, 1,670 hotel rooms and convention space, retail, dining and outdoor community spaces, possibly including demolition of the Coliseum. Since the announcement, parts of the local community surrounding the Coliseum has spoken out against it, citing a potential increase of traffic and congestion in the area. The Nassau County Legislature voted 17-1 with one recusal to transfer the Coliseum lease to the Sands, but in November a state judge struck down the deal, citing the County did not adequately provide enough transparent, public hearings for the project. In May 2024, the county announced it planned to resubmit the lease-transfer application.

Cradle of Aviation Museum and Sky Theater Planetarium 

The coliseum is also within walking distance of the Cradle of Aviation Museum, home to the all-digital, Catholic Health Sky Theater Planetarium.

We all know the timeless idiom regarding those who remain silent.