Village trustees conducted a public hearing Jan. 8 at village hall to consider the adoption of Local Law 1-2004 to amend the village code to delete the Public "P" District and amend the CO-5a and CO-5b districts and amend the CO-4 district and define open space.

Despite past open forums on the topic in which planning consultant Frank Fish of Buckhurst Fish and Jacquemart, Inc. (BFJ) presented detailed PowerPoint presentations on the proposed zoning changes, Dorothy Episcopia of Claydon Road slammed trustees for failing to have him make another presentation last Thursday evening.

"I'm very disappointed that you do not have Mr. Fish up here with a map and that you do not have a published, printed explanation of what the law is. I suggest you either adjourn this hearing right now or have Mr. Fish present a map and explain it so everybody can understand what's going on," she said.

Village Counsel Gary Fishberg told Episcopia that "it's not in a vacuum" residents attended the standing room only hearing. Further, Trustee Peter Bee, chairman of the mayor-appointed P-Zone Committee, added, the committee has hosted presentations in a number of places.

"We met with the POAs and the Chamber of Commerce, including landowners. We've held two public sessions with presentations by the planner," Bee said. "At some point it becomes important to get feedback.

"We did have some dialogue about whether or not tonight should be yet another presentation by Mr. Fish or whether we reached a point in time in which we wished to hear back from the public. And for better or worse, I made the recommendation to the board that we have Mr. Fish available but not make another presentation."

The P-Zone Committee, comprised of Bee and Trustees Peter Negri and Gerard Lundquist, recently recommended to the full board of trustees that the P District should in fact be rezoned, which adds a variety of restrictions and allows for other uses - not just public. No zoning changes occurred east of Washington Avenue, only to the west.

The CO-4 District would allow for offices for government, business or professional use, retail establishments primarily engaged in selling office machines, equipment and supplies, electronic data processing and accessory uses customarily incidental to a permitted use. Further, if a plot in the district abuts property in a one-family dwelling district, a 50-foot setback from a one-family dwelling district is required unless there is an intervening road not less than 25 feet wide, in which case the setback requirement is 25 feet.

The CO-5a District would entail a 25 percent open space requirement. More over, the zoning enables courtrooms, offices for government, business or professional use and accessory uses customarily incidental to a permitted use in the area. The Co-5a District would allow for a maximum Floor Area Ratio (FAR) of .6, a maximum building height of 40 feet and a maximum building coverage of 30 percent.

Bee noted that the Social Services Building is in the heart of the CO-5b zone, where proposed zoning changes could allow for nothing other than government and residential uses. Specifically, the updated zoning would allow for any use permitted in the CO-5a district, multi-family housing in compliance with R-M District standards and single family housing in compliance with R-8 District standards.

Further, 25 percent of the CO-5b District must be kept as open space. The district allows for a maximum Floor Area Ratio (FAR) of .4, a maximum building height of 35 feet or three stories and a maximum 25 percent building coverage requirement.

During Fish's impromptu explanation, with maps, residents who live near what is often described as the "Mineola Complex" voiced opposition to multi-family construction in the Co-5b District, at the site of the current Social Services Building or 101 County Seat Drive.

"I would like to see nothing but R-8 zoning where the Social Services building is," Lauren Davies of Heath Place told trustees. Eastern Property Owners' Association President James Carney added, "The consensus of many people I've spoken to is to see single family homes on the property."

Bee said, as he has in the past, "We can zone it but we don't own it." Building Superintendent Mike Filippon added that the land could be sold in parts or as a single parcel. "We don't know what the future will bring in terms of how this property will be subdivided," he said.

A resident said frankly, "The county is going to try to make the most money as possible with this plan and it's the board of trustees' responsibility to protect its residents as much as possible."

Mayor Miller adjourned the hearing, which will continue at the Feb. 5 board of trustees' meeting at 8 p.m. in village hall.