Residents Pan Town's Urban Renewal Plan

Plan Precludes Development By Trammell-Crow; Ignores Voice Of Community

From the Malverne/West Hempstead Herald:

By Matthew McGevna

Civic leaders in West Hempstead are unhappy with the Town of Hempstead's recently unveiled plan for the 10.5 acres of property surrounding the Courtesy Hotel.

They say the town's Office of Planning and Economic Development is ignoring what they would like to see done with the parcels of blighted land.

The town's draft Urban Renewal Plan (URP), the product of a months-long study by the independent consulting firm Saccardi & Schiff, was scheduled for a public meeting before the Board of Zoning Appeals on Wednesday. The plan recommends, among other things, that developers build no more than 45 units per acre on the property where the Courtesy stands, preferably townhouses or senior housing. It also calls for additional commuter parking near the West Hempstead train station, and the preservation of open space on land south of the hotel site. The URP also recommends a mix of residential homes and commercial businesses on both sides of Hempstead Avenue.

But critics of the plan say there is no need to mix residences with businesses, and they don't see townhouses as a viable option, because families will be reluctant to buy there. "This isn't what I consider planning at its best," said West Hempstead Civic Association President Rosalie Norton. "I think the plan is ignoring West Hempstead residents."

Over the past several months, thousands of residents have signed letters and petitions endorsing the proposed plan of Trammell Crow Residential, a development firm currently in negotiation with Bruce Zwelsky, the owner of the Courtesy, to purchase the property. Trammell Crow¹s plan is to build multiple-story apartment buildings, believing that the complex would attract young professionals who would use the nearby train station to commute to New York City. The plan calls for 220 units in total, breaking down to roughly 80 units per acre. Since it began negotiating with Zwelsky, Trammell Crow¹s application for a zoning variance to accommodate its plan has been pending in the town's building department. In the meantime, the Office of Planning and Economic Development has requested and received a number of other proposals from other developers, and is considering Trammell Crow and three other candidates: the Sheldrake Organization, Breslin Realty and the Benjamin Group. To date, the only firm that has approached members of the West Hempstead community for their input is Trammell Crow.

The URP recommends zoning for 45 units per acre, half the density of Trammell Crow's plan. The URP includes an Environmental Assessment Form, which considers a project's environmental impact on the community. According to the form, 80 units per acre would not dramatically impact water use, land use, sewage, traffic or the local school district. The 5th Precinct even reported that its service to the area would actually decrease, because so much of its activity centers on the Courtesy. Still, the URP concludes that 80 units per acre would be too dense for the area, principally because such a project has never been built anywhere else within the town, and might establish a regrettable precedent.

"Just because you allowed it in one area, doesn¹t mean you have to allow it in all the others," said Norton. "Saccardi & Schiff determined that the area can handle 80, but the URP is recommending 45. They're going to ignore thousands of residents who say 80 units is fine."

"I think [Saccardi & Schiff] are taking cues from the Town of Hempstead," said Cathedral Gardens Civic Association President Scott Jablow. "The town is trying to do whatever they can to knock out the Trammell Crow project."

"I wouldn't exactly call the plan visionary," said Tony Brita, a member of the West Hempstead Board of Education. "We're in a position where we need to think of different ways to house people, and [the Trammell Crow proposal] was a new model, and the Town of Hempstead chose to play it safe."

"What disturbs me is the preclusion of the Trammell Crow proposal in its entirety, and [the town] basically thumbing its nose at the community at large," said Seth Bykofsky, a West Hempstead resident and activist. "The town refuses to consider projects other than what the town wants itself."

Many West Hempstead residents favor the Trammell Crow proposal because they believe it is more appropriate for the area, and because the developer has invited community input since day one. Its proposal would also produce an additional $1.1 million per year in tax revenue for the town. At 45 units per acre, the URP determined a tax revenue of just under $738,000 per year. "We want maximum tax money," Norton said. "We need as much as we can get in tax revenue."

Wednesday's meeting was the first opportunity for residents to voice their disapproval with the URP. If the plan is adopted by the town board, the board's next step is to choose the winning developer. Opponents of the plan say they will keep fighting as long as they have to, even if the fight carries over to Election Day.

Council members Edward Ambrosino and James Darcy, who represent West Hempstead, are running for re-election in November, along with Town Supervisor Kate Murray. "We're going to try to contact each council member," Jablow said. "And if the Democrats put a decent, hard-working opponent against Murray, I'd vote for that person. I'm that disappointed in [Murray's] actions. 'I've had it with her."

Comments about this story? Mal-wheditor@liherald.com or (516) 569-4000 ext. 205.

©Herald Community 2007