As part of his ongoing campaign to develop affordable housing throughout Nassau, County Executive Tom Suozzi proposed at a May 8 press conference the development of "next generation" housing near Roosevelt Field Mall in Garden City.

"We propose a model housing plan that will appeal to young people, the children of Garden City residents who are starting out in their careers, empty nesters who no longer need large homes and for those who work in Garden City but cannot afford to live there," Suozzi said.

The 11.8 acres of empty land - located off Ring Road, east of Clinton Road and north of Stewart Avenue - are landlocked and include a recharge basin. Suozzi, who admitted county officials didn't even realize they had the parcel available to them until recently, said he is looking forward to working with Garden City trustees, who must grant him a zoning change from commercial to residential in order to push the project forward.

In a letter Suozzi sent Garden City Mayor Gerard Lundquist, the county executive, in part, stated: "Looking to the future needs of our residents, we propose high quality mixed income and mixed use development that will serve as a transition between Roosevelt Field's retail and offices and the homes on the west side of Clinton Road."

Requests for Proposals will be issued to solicit interest of private developers to bring forth plans that would incorporate a mixed-use development (affordable housing, next generation housing and market rate housing) of residential units (both rental and privately owned).

Diana Weir, vice president of the Long Island Housing Partnership, noted, "This is a tremendous step in bringing people at every level of the economic stratus to give them an opportunity to live and work in Nassau County."

The Nassau County Planning Commission has prepared several possible plans for the property, including 245 housing units and 458 parking spaces and 99 housing units and 225 parking spaces. While these initial scenarios could change in some variation, Suozzi is committed to including at least 30 percent of affordable housing at the location and assures the "properly designed residential units would not infringe upon the residential nature of other parts of Garden City."

Mitchel Pally, vice president of governmental affairs for the Long Island Association, said, "We are very pleased to stand here with all of our housing advocates, and with the county executive, on this proposal because we think it shows that every municipality has to do its share to help us solve this problem."

Since Suozzi took office in 2001, Nassau County has played a role in the development of more than 1,500 units of affordable housing. Currently, 500 units are in production throughout numerous Nassau County communities, including Roosevelt, Hempstead, Port Washington and Glen Cove, according to Connie Lassandro, director of housing services for Nassau County.

The county also proposed housing legislation, which is currently before the Nassau County Legislature. According to Karen V. Contino, deputy press secretary for the Nassau County Legislature, The Next Generation Housing proposal was filed in April, along with a companion law, the First Time Homeowners Assistance law.

However, the $10 million funding mechanism, which was to be in place from the sale of 101 County Seat Drive, has not yet been funded because the sale of the property is being held up. A lawsuit the Village of Mineola filed in February 2005 - and recently won - argued that the sale of the land should be halted until the county came up with an adequate parking plan. Because of the decision in the village's favor, the county must go through the process of determining whether its plan, including the sale of the parking fields, will have an environmental impact on surrounding areas.

Moreover, several legislators want to first see how local municipalities will accept the program and incorporate it into their zoning regulations. "Until these and other questions are answered, there isn't support to pass it," Contino said.

Garden City trustees are anxious to meet with the county executive Friday, May 26, to discuss "several scenarios" Suozzi's staff has developed as a starting point of their planning.

"This property happens to be in Garden City, which, historically, has been viewed as a community that didn't want to have affordable housing in it," Suozzi said. "I want to work with the Village of Garden City to create affordable housing in this location ... This piece of property can serve as a catalyst to help and stimulate that debate here in Nassau and throughout Long Island."