As the Garden City Hotel moves forward with its much anticipated condominium conversion and improvements to portions of the hotel's public areas, village officials recently got word that they've engaged new architects for the re-design.

But because the recently submitted drawings are significantly different from those previously presented to trustees and the Architectural Design Review Board (ADRB) - and therefore need a thorough review - the Aug. 16 public hearing on proposed local law 1-2007 had to be rescheduled. As of press time, a new date was not yet set for the public hearing. (If enacted, the law would amend current village code with regard to Hotel (H) Districts by increasing the F.A.R. (Floor Area Ratio) from 84 percent to 85 percent, as requested by the hotel, and prohibiting nightclubs, cabarets, discotheques or similar facilities as accessory uses.)

The revised plans further contemplate a number of changes to the hotel's exterior, particularly to the landscaped and parking areas. A preliminary review of the architectural modifications to the exterior of the hotel was expected at the Aug. 21 ADRB meeting.

Although hotel officials realize a thorough review of the material submitted to the village by all village boards and commissions could take some time, they urged that their request for an increased FAR be enacted as soon as possible.

"A key element in the condominium conversion is the approval of an offering plan by the New York State attorney general, a process which can take several months to complete," Patrick Smalley, Garden City Hotel executive vice president, noted in an Aug. 15 letter sent to Mayor Peter Bee and the board of trustees. "Our sales efforts, as well as our financing, depend on the attorney general's approval. Unfortunately, we cannot begin the approval process until we can offer proof that the contemplated plans comply with all applicable zoning requirements."

For those who don't know, the FAR is the ratio of the total floor area of buildings on a certain location to the size of the land of that location, or the limit imposed on such a ratio. As a formula: FAR equals the total covered area on all floors of all buildings on a certain plot divided by the area of the plot.

The letter further indicated that under the revised plans, the floor area to be constructed pursuant to the new drawings over and above the current floor area of the hotel is now 4,005 square feet and would be sanctioned by the requested increase in the FAR permitted in the hotel district from 84 percent to 85 percent. The additional floor area involved in the drawings previously submitted was approximately 3,096 square feet.

As a condition, the hotel's nightclub, Posh, had to close prior to any issuance of certificates of occupancy. In anticipation of Posh's eventual closing and as a gesture of good faith, the hotel has already closed the nightclub. In a separate letter submitted to Mayor Bee and the board, the hotel's law firm of Farrell Fritz, P.C., requested that this amendment be made separate from the increased FAR amendment and asked trustees to defer any action on the provision extending the prohibition on nightclubs to all hotels - not merely to buildings containing both apartment and hotel uses.

The hotel's lawyer, John Racanelli of Farrell Fritz, P.C., stated in the Aug. 2 letter that the "hotel is clearly committed to the partial condominium conversion. However, it is possible that, for reasons related to the real estate market or otherwise, the hotel may decide not to move forward with the conversion at this time. In that unlikely event, the hotel would be compelled to consider a number of changes to its current operations in order to reposition itself to be more competitive, one of which changes might involve a nightclub or cabaret. Closing Posh at this time was logical in light of the hotel's intended course of action, but should not be seen as a concession on the hotel's part that a properly run and regulated nightclub could not and should not be an important component of a 280-room hotel."