Environmental concerns remain at the forefront as Nassau County prepares to accept approximately 110 acres of Navy-owned land and facilities formerly operated by Grumman as a defense plant, County Legislator Edward Mangano reported this week.

According to Mangano, a Bethpage resident and the county official closest to the deal, Nassau will not accept the property without assurances that the land, which was polluted by past manufacturing operations, is fully cleaned up. The site has been the subject of ongoing environmental remediation for several years, and is on the brink of being given to the county for the purpose of private redevelopment.

"Nassau County is not accepting any land unless it is cleaned," said Mangano, noting that to ensure this, he has negotiated the transfer of the land in three phases. "Originally, it was proposed they transfer everything, and then they would just continue to clean it, and that was it. But now we've phased it."

A large portion of the property is expected to be transferred by September of 2000, completing Phase One. After undergoing extensive environmental remediation, which was needed to due to industrial pollution, that land now surpasses residential cleanup standards. Phase Two entails facilities still being used by Northrop Grumman Corp. Those would be transferred in 2002. Phase Three involves land that is not ready for transfer because it is polluted, and environmental remediation is not yet completed. That portion will be accepted by the county when the cleanup is finished, most likely in 2005.

Mangano's comments followed the recent release of a draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) prepared by the Navy, which is a federally required step in the transfer process.

The environmental review based its conclusions about the impact of redevelopment on a preferred reuse plan that was formulated after a series of public meetings, and much input from the community. However, that model for reuse is only a guideline, stressed Mangano, and, ultimately a less intense development will likely prevail for the property.

"The document is a great working outline of what may be proposed, and if so, what the effects would be. And the information in it should be used to avoid development that yields a result that is inconsistent with either the environment or quality of life in the surrounding communities of Bethpage and Hicksville," he said.

But, he added, "I anticipate something less than what is proposed in the plan to actually occur on the property, yielding lesser impacts to both the environment and to the community."

Using as a model a preferred reuse plan that includes primarily a mix of light industry and office uses, the draft EIS concludes that the transfer would be a productive use of the property that does not negatively impact the site's potential for long-term productivity. However, it acknowledges that it would cause unavoidable adverse effects on traffic, and a loss of cultural resources through the demolition of historic buildings. It also notes that the plan would cause increased demand on the area's infrastructure systems, due to extra needs in the areas of electricity, steam, sewage, natural gas, stormwater, and water supply.

The preferred reuse plan, which would involve some building conversion, as well as demolition to allow for new construction, would add about 100,000 sq. ft. of new building area to the site. It is expected to generate an estimated 5,410 full-time jobs, and as much as $13 million in real property taxes. Features of the site plan include light industry/warehousing, such as film production studios and athletic facilities, offices, research and development facilities, a restaurant, conference center and fitness center.

"I believe that the information in that document can be used as a tool to bring about the desired project, which in my opinion, would be less developed than the one proposed as a guideline for the study," Mangano commented.

The legislator believes the best plan for the property would involve a mix of high technology and film industry uses. For example, he favors a proposal that does not include new construction, but rather the renovation of an existing 787,000 square-foot building for high technology and film studio uses. "And that may be what actually occurs, even though the study is on a greater plan," he said. "I don't believe that this depicts an actual development that will occur. But rather the importance of it, is it provides the data that the community can use to bring about a desired, less dense development," he said.

The draft EIS is currently available for public review at the Bethpage Library. The Navy is accepting written comments on the document, which will be included in the preparation of the final EIS. Following the release of that document, the Navy will conduct a Finding of Suitability to Transfer (FOST), and after approval by the Secretary of the Navy, the deal will be sealed.

As portions of the site are transferred, the county will put out Requests for Proposals (RFPs), offering the land to private developers, and choosing a plan that is most suitable, Mangano noted.

Ultimately, he hopes the area will revitalize the Bethpage/Hicksville area, and replace the economic benefits lost with the consolidation of Grumman operations in the early 1990s.

"Since the defense industry's exodus from the property, we've focused on replacing it with high technology industry ... It's estimated that alone, that that property on the tax rolls, could generate between $8 million and $13 million dollars a year in revenue. That would certainly assist the local school districts," he said.

He added, "Secondly, it would provide jobs. And we would hope that we see the film industry, and the high-technology industry flourish in that site, which provides jobs, not only for engineers, but also for technicians in all the trades, including electrical and carpentry."

Editors Note: To send your opinions about the draft Environmental Impact Statement, to be included in the preparation of the final Environmental Impact Statement, mail them to Mr. Robert K. Ostermuller, Code 202, Northern Division, Naval Facilities Engineering Command, 10 Industrial Highway, Lester PA, 19113. Written comments on the document must be postmarked not later than Dec. 14 to be considered part of the official record. Additional information may also be obtained by contacting Mr. Ostermuller by phone at (610) 595-0759, or by FAX at (610) 595-0778.