At a public hearing at its Dec. 8 meeting, the Glen Cove Planning Board heard a revised proposal for a minor subdivision and site plan for proposed lots at Crescent Beach Road, north of Woolsey Avenue...more commonly known as "the place Tom Suozzi bought."

The original proposal called for four lots on the property. Jeffrey Forchelli, attorney for 44 Sea Cliff Avenue Corp., owned by developer Richard Mohring, had revised the plans prior to the hearing to include just three lots. Other facts and figures in the original plan had also been re-worked after Mr. Forchelli spent a great deal of time consulting and working to strike a balance with neighbors in the area, doing, as he stated, "everything we can short of going away."

He had met with the Shaffers and Farrells, families whose homes border the property in question. Both neighbors testified that they would not have a problem with the proposal as was presented at the hearing. Ruth Schaffer, who said she and her husband have lived on Crescent Beach Road for 27 years, was more concerned with the developer retaining the rustic charm and beauty of the area, for example, retaining the 15-foot wide private lane leading to the property. Mr. Forchelli had said that could be done, and brought with him letters from the fire department and police department stating that the addition of one home would not require any change in the lane for safety's sake.

John Breslin, a real estate appraiser, stated that the proposed two-story colonial home would fit in with the surrounding properties, that it far exceeded code requirements and would have no negative impact on real estate values.

Opposition came from a group calling itself the Pine Ridge Homeowners Association whose attorney argued, among other things, that the plans presented at the meeting had been changed, and everyone did not have sufficient time to examine them. Board Consultant Anthony J. Maurino, however, remarked that this proposal was better than any that had been presented before, and as the attorney for the association had no concrete criticisms, no more time and examination should be needed. Another criticism of the project came from Amy Bikoff, who complained that the proposed home would be ten feet higher than her own home, and she would be made to feel like "a serf in a fiefdom. It was reiterated by the board that the proposed building size was well within regulations for the area.

Just before the close of the public hearing, Planning Board Chairman Robert Benazzi questioned Mr. Forchelli a final time, line by line, on the compromises that had been agreed upon among neighbors, and appeared satisfied with the succinct yes and no answers he received.

After the close of the public hearing section of the meeting, the board voted unanimously to permit the subdivision to go through, with certain C and Rs (covenants and restrictions). These will be prepared by the city attorney and presented to the planning board for a vote at a future meeting. Conditions include the agreement that there be no further sub-division of the property, location of dry wells and other drainage systems, maintaining the road to the property at the present width, the height of trees along a greenbelt, replacement in kind of any trees damaged in the development, and the assurance that the location of utility wires cause no interference to two venerated copper beech trees, forces of nature which have the respect of all involved parties.

In other business, the planning board gave preliminary approval to a major subdivision of five lots at Sunview Drive, the former location of the Elks Club. As this is a major subdivision, the hearings have just begun.