Nassau County Legislator Jeff Toback (D-Oceanside) and the County Attorney's office have taken the first step towards closing the Oceanside Motel in Oceanside, the site of five drug-related arrests over the past nine months.

Legislator Toback held a rally last week outside the motel, along with 60 Oceanside residents, to call on the motel to "shape up or ship out."

The County Attorney served a "First Notice of Prohibited Conduct" yesterday on the motel's owners stating under §§ 22-A of the county charter, entitled the Public Nuisance Abatement Law, "Prohibited Conduct has occurred at the location…(.) It is your obligation to cause the prohibited conduct to cease."

"The Oceanside Motel is routinely the location of drug arrests," said Legislator Toback. "The time has come for aggressive action to be taken to rid our community of this menace. The community has spoken, and I have heard them."

Pursuant to the county charter, if the motel owner fails to comply with the notice, by taking action to prevent further drug arrests, the County may bring proceedings to close the facility.