Valley Stream Is Losing the Lot That Took Field 8's Overflow

Some weekday mornings, Field 8 is full by about 7:15. Field 8 sits at Hicks Street and West Jamaica Avenue and is the nonresident lot closest to the Valley Stream LIRR station. Until now, drivers who found it full had a simple fallback. They drove a short way to Field 26 at Hicks Street and West Valley Stream Boulevard and parked there.

That fallback goes away this fall. Field 26 is closing permanently to make way for The Alder at Valley Stream, a 132-unit senior housing development at 62–78 Hicks Street. The closure removes 156 spaces that nonresident commuters have used for years.

Most coverage focuses on the 156 spaces. For a commuter, the bigger change is what happens after Field 8 fills. Field 26 was the close backup. The lots still available are farther from the platform, so on a busy morning, arrival time at Field 8 now decides how long the rest of the trip takes.

The lot that worked as Field 8's backup

Commuters told the Long Island Herald that Field 8 can fill by about 7:15 or 7:30 a.m. After that, they have to park farther from the station. A commuter quoted in the Herald's September coverage called Field 26 "the primary backup." In July, another described it the same way, as the lot people used when Field 8 filled during the morning rush.

The village's nonresident parking page lists the nonresident fields that remain after Field 26 closes:

The walking estimates come from commuters, not from the village. One commuter told the Herald that the Hendrickson Pool lot and a lot near the railroad trestles are each about 0.8 miles from the station. Another said the Hendrickson Pool lot takes roughly 10 minutes on foot. A third told the paper that some of the remaining lots have entrances and exits on streets farther from the train, which adds driving time on top of the walk.

Here's how that plays out. A commuter who gets to Field 8 before it fills will barely notice the closure. One who arrives after it fills now has to drive to a lot farther away, then walk back toward the platform, in the dark for much of the winter.

Why a commuter permit costs $40 for some and $650 for others

The "Valley Stream" on your mailing address doesn't decide which permit you can buy. Living inside the incorporated village does. As of July 2026, village residents paid $40 a year for a commuter parking permit, and nonresidents paid $650. The Herald reported in October that the nonresident fee rose from $600 to $650 this year.

So a household with a Valley Stream address outside the village line pays the nonresident rate. The commuters quoted in the October story live in Valley Stream but outside the incorporated village. Another commuter in the September coverage lives in Hewlett.

Village Deputy Treasurer Tom McAleer explained the price difference to the Herald. "They don't pay village tax," he said of nonresidents. "Village residents pay village tax, so that's why they don't pay as much as nonresidents." He also called the nonresident fee moderate compared with fees in surrounding villages. For comparison, the Herald's September story reported that parking can cost up to $800 a year in nearby villages such as Lynbrook.

The closure lands on the nonresident group specifically. In July, the village had 230 nonresident permit holders, and Field 26 had 156 spaces for them. Nobody has published how many of those 230 drivers park on a typical weekday. What's known is that the lot losing its spaces is the one people used when Field 8 was already full.

What the village has said, and what it hasn't

Permits for the current cycle run from May 1, 2026, to April 30, 2027. The village opened 2026/27 permit sales online on April 6. The project was approved after that. The village board approved the subdivision, the State Environmental Quality Review Act findings, Local Law 3-2026 and a CA Floating Multiple Dwelling District for the Hicks Street site at its June 15 meeting.

The coverage disagrees about notice. The Herald's July 3 story reported that permit holders were told about the closure when they renewed this year. Commuters quoted in September and October said they renewed without knowing, and that they heard about it from other commuters.

The July story also reported that the village did not run a parking-utilization study or a post-pandemic demand analysis before deciding. It also did not look at a garage, expanded parking access or a shuttle. At that point, officials said the remaining nonresident lots would have enough capacity.

Since then, the plan has grown. By September, officials said they would repurpose an existing lot for nonresident commuters to replace the lost capacity. As of the Herald's September 18 report, they had not said where that lot is or when it will open. McAleer said he hoped it would be ready before winter weather. "We never want to leave out our nonresident friends, and we will never abandon them," he said. "Accommodations will be made." The October 2 story repeated the commitment without giving a location. The village's parking information still lists Field 26 as closing in fall 2026, with no calendar date.

Commuters have suggested several fixes to the village. These include opening more lots to nonresident permit holders, allowing longer stays at metered lots, creating designated street parking and running a shuttle to the train. Others have asked for refunds or access to resident lots. None of these has been adopted in the reporting so far.

The lot also served the building next door

Commuters aren't the only ones affected. Monica Senior Village sits next to Field 26 and is currently Valley Stream's only senior housing complex. It has 192 units and a four-year waiting list, according to the Herald, and that demand is the case officials make for The Alder.

Monica Senior Village has also leaned on Field 26 for parking. The executive director of the Valley Stream Housing Company told the Herald that the company spends nearly $6,500 a year on 10 spaces in the lot, because the complex has limited parking on site. She said aides working seven-hour shifts already park on the street. On Hicks Street and Payne Avenue, the limit is four hours.

This affects commuters too. Once Field 26 closes, staff and visitors at Monica Senior Village and commuters coming from Field 8 will all be looking for parking on the same few blocks of Hicks Street, with the same four-hour limits.

What to watch this fall

1. The Field 26 closing date. As of the October 2 report, the closure was still set for "fall 2026" with no specific day. Signs posted at the lot have announced the permanent closure.
2. The replacement lot. The village has said it will repurpose an existing lot but hadn't named it as of the latest coverage. Whether it is closer to the station than Field 32 will decide how much it helps after Field 8 fills.
3. October 17 at Hendrickson Park. The Valley Stream Chamber of Commerce is holding its Food Truck Festival in the Hendrickson Park parking lot on Saturday, October 17, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. The rain date is Saturday, October 24. Both dates fall on Saturdays, but anyone who parks near the pool complex on weekends should expect a crowded lot.
4. Permit questions. The village's parking permits page says permits are sold online only, and it links to the parking field regulations.

If you're deciding between a home inside the village line and one just outside it, the commute is part of the cost. Jennifer Scala can help you compare those costs, from permit fees to your morning route to the platform. Schedule a free consultation.

This article is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Consult a qualified professional about your situation.