The Village of Lindenhurst has removed a bench on North Wellwood Avenue across from Village Square Park after numerous complaints from residents about those who gathered at that specific sitting area.
Deputy mayor Kevin McCaffrey oversaw the removal on the morning of September 10 as the village's Department of Public Works carefully removed the bench from the brick-area of the sidewalk near the Brewhaus Pub, the General Store Smoke Shop and future Studio Trio.
"We felt there was an element around the area - it's been the scene of police activity, a stabbing there and reports of drug dealing," McCaffrey told Patch. "It was just a bad element we felt, in order to not encourage that, we needed to take the bench out."
The removed bench leaves that portion of the village with the bench across the roadway and the park as public seating options, but McCaffrey said he hopes it helps encourage better behavior in the area.
The future of that particular bench, however, was anyone's guess.
"We took it out and we're going to worry about where it goes afterwards," McCaffrey said. "We'd like to one day bring it back here."
He added: "The idea is to eliminate the problems, not the benches."
As for the former benchwarmers that commonly were seen occupying the seat having been seen by many residents already moving to the Gazebo in Village Square Park, McCaffrey said the village's public safety would be patrolling the area more.
"We're working with the First Precinct to have a presence [in the park] to make sure there's no illicit activity," he said.
One day, McCaffrey said, he hopes to be able to return the troublesome bench.
"I'll feel a bit of success when we come back one day and put that bench back into place," he said.
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