Pigeon waste ruffles feathers in New Hyde Park, prompting North Hempstead code change
Pigeons gathered behind the former Foodtown on Tuesday in New Hyde Park. Credit: Newsday/Howard Schnapp
The parking lot is littered with pigeon droppings.
For the past couple years, an abandoned lot near the intersection of Hillside Avenue and Herricks Road in New Hyde Park has become something of a one-stop shop for pigeons: Every day, hundreds of the birds gather along a nearby telephone line or atop a former Foodtown and pounce on food strewed across the parking lot. Once they are finished eating, the pigeons relieve themselves in the lot, according to town officials.
“It is really just a mess,” North Hempstead Town Councilwoman Christine Liu said in an interview.
The town has issued a pair of violation tickets to Walgreens Co., which was once a subtenant, according to one of the building's current owners. But officials are set to vote this month on a change to the zoning code that would allow the town to shift its prosecution to the real offender: The resident. Or, residents. The identity of the bird feeder — or feeders — is unclear.
“Somebody comes twice a day, maybe more than one person, and they dump a lot of food,” town attorney Richard Nicolello said in an interview. “They all descend on this area.”
Arthur Capelle, who has lived in New Hyde Park for 45 years, said he's seen people dumping bird feed, as well as chicken, fish and egg yolks on the property. He believes the birds have taken up permanent residency on the roof.
"When you see hundreds of pigeons flying over your head ... and then there's droppings, it's just not normal," Capelle, 55, said. "The droppings are just all over the back parking lot. It's just not something that you like to see."
The proposed change, which would make it a violation for residents to feed pigeons on a commercial property, has been filed with the Nassau County Planning Commission. If approved, the town will hold a public hearing on the measure on June 10. In the meantime, residents are left to proceed with caution when passing by the vacant grocery store sandwiched between a gas station and sushi restaurant.
Liu said she's received regular complaints about the issue since taking office last year.
“While some residents may mean well, feeding pigeons mounds of bagels and scraps has led to hundreds of birds crowding the wires all day,” Liu said in an emailed statement. The feeding creates “unsanitary conditions ... increases health risks like bird flu, and drives customers away from local businesses.”
North Hempstead first issued an appearance ticket to Walgreens Co. in August, according to information provided by the town. The parties agreed upon a $500 fine after Walgreens cleaned up the property, town spokesman Umberto Mignardi said.
But the cycle of avian digestion did not abate there.
The town issued another ticket on Feb. 13, listing three violations.
“There is pigeon excrement all over the place,” the violation read. “Bird food is laying all over the ground in every lot. Hundreds of pigeons are being fed all kinds of food on a daily basis in all parking lots on the property.”
The ticket also listed violations for “yards/courts/vacant lots not maintained” and “garbage on property." It was settled for $625 on May 30, Mignardi said.
“As part of our commitment to do right by our customers, patients, and communities, we make every effort to appropriately maintain our properties,” Walgreens spokeswoman Brigid Sweeney said in an emailed statement.
Walgreens Co. is no longer the subtenant, said Ronald Miller, of the Stoothoff Corp., which owns the property. Mignardi said in a text message that Walgreens was issued the violation because it paid taxes on the property.
In 2014, the Town of Hempstead voted to restrict feeding pigeons, ducks and geese in residential and waterfront areas. Babylon Town hired a private company in 2020 to remove dozens of pigeons from a West Babylon neighborhood.
North Hempstead's code currently says “no premises shall be used for the keeping, maintaining or harboring of pigeons.”
Nicolello said in an interview he’s often seen the birds gathered along the wire on his morning drive to work.
“It’s a really strange sight, it’s almost like something out of a Hitchcock movie,” Nicolello said.
Nicolello said the reason for the proposed change is to create a fairer way to enforce the town code. If individuals are creating the mess, they should bear the responsibility, he said.
From a business' "perspective, they'd need to employ somebody to stand out there for hours on end, and tell these people to go away," he said. "There's not much the owner of a vacant property can do."
The parking lot is littered with pigeon droppings.
For the past couple years, an abandoned lot near the intersection of Hillside Avenue and Herricks Road in New Hyde Park has become something of a one-stop shop for pigeons: Every day, hundreds of the birds gather along a nearby telephone line or atop a former Foodtown and pounce on food strewed across the parking lot. Once they are finished eating, the pigeons relieve themselves in the lot, according to town officials.
“It is really just a mess,” North Hempstead Town Councilwoman Christine Liu said in an interview.
The town has issued a pair of violation tickets to Walgreens Co., which was once a subtenant, according to one of the building's current owners. But officials are set to vote this month on a change to the zoning code that would allow the town to shift its prosecution to the real offender: The resident. Or, residents. The identity of the bird feeder — or feeders — is unclear.
“Somebody comes twice a day, maybe more than one person, and they dump a lot of food,” town attorney Richard Nicolello said in an interview. “They all descend on this area.”
Arthur Capelle, who has lived in New Hyde Park for 45 years, said he's seen people dumping bird feed, as well as chicken, fish and egg yolks on the property. He believes the birds have taken up permanent residency on the roof.
"When you see hundreds of pigeons flying over your head ... and then there's droppings, it's just not normal," Capelle, 55, said. "The droppings are just all over the back parking lot. It's just not something that you like to see."
The proposed change, which would make it a violation for residents to feed pigeons on a commercial property, has been filed with the Nassau County Planning Commission. If approved, the town will hold a public hearing on the measure on June 10. In the meantime, residents are left to proceed with caution when passing by the vacant grocery store sandwiched between a gas station and sushi restaurant.
Liu said she's received regular complaints about the issue since taking office last year.
“While some residents may mean well, feeding pigeons mounds of bagels and scraps has led to hundreds of birds crowding the wires all day,” Liu said in an emailed statement. The feeding creates “unsanitary conditions ... increases health risks like bird flu, and drives customers away from local businesses.”
Pigeons gathered behind the former Foodtown on Tuesday in New Hyde Park. Credit: Newsday/Howard Schnapp
Bird saga
North Hempstead first issued an appearance ticket to Walgreens Co. in August, according to information provided by the town. The parties agreed upon a $500 fine after Walgreens cleaned up the property, town spokesman Umberto Mignardi said.
But the cycle of avian digestion did not abate there.
The town issued another ticket on Feb. 13, listing three violations.
“There is pigeon excrement all over the place,” the violation read. “Bird food is laying all over the ground in every lot. Hundreds of pigeons are being fed all kinds of food on a daily basis in all parking lots on the property.”
The ticket also listed violations for “yards/courts/vacant lots not maintained” and “garbage on property." It was settled for $625 on May 30, Mignardi said.
“As part of our commitment to do right by our customers, patients, and communities, we make every effort to appropriately maintain our properties,” Walgreens spokeswoman Brigid Sweeney said in an emailed statement.
Walgreens Co. is no longer the subtenant, said Ronald Miller, of the Stoothoff Corp., which owns the property. Mignardi said in a text message that Walgreens was issued the violation because it paid taxes on the property.
'Hitchcock'-lite
In 2014, the Town of Hempstead voted to restrict feeding pigeons, ducks and geese in residential and waterfront areas. Babylon Town hired a private company in 2020 to remove dozens of pigeons from a West Babylon neighborhood.
North Hempstead's code currently says “no premises shall be used for the keeping, maintaining or harboring of pigeons.”
Nicolello said in an interview he’s often seen the birds gathered along the wire on his morning drive to work.
“It’s a really strange sight, it’s almost like something out of a Hitchcock movie,” Nicolello said.
Nicolello said the reason for the proposed change is to create a fairer way to enforce the town code. If individuals are creating the mess, they should bear the responsibility, he said.
From a business' "perspective, they'd need to employ somebody to stand out there for hours on end, and tell these people to go away," he said. "There's not much the owner of a vacant property can do."
More pigeons, more problems
North Hempstead residents have complained of hundreds of pigeons gathering in a New Hyde Park parking lot, where someone has been dropping food for the birds. The pigeons have been relieving themselves in the lot near the intersection of Hillside Avenue and Herricks Road.
The town is proposing a change to the code to make it a violation for residents to feed pigeons on commercial properties.
The identity of the bird feeder, or feeders, is unknown.
Joshua Needelman covers the Town of North Hempstead for Newsday. A Long Island native and University of Maryland graduate, his work has appeared in publications including The New York Times and The Washington Post.
'Just disappointing and ... sad' The proportion of drivers who refused to take a test after being pulled over by trained officers doubled over five years. NewsdayTV's Virginia Huie reports.
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