Last week, in the main chamber of Glen Cove City Hall, Glen Isle Partners, LLC, the contracted developers of the Glen Cove waterfront, presented the IDA, CDA and interested residents with the long-awaited three-dimensional model of their proposal at a joint IDA/CDA meeting. Don Monti and Michael Posillico, principals of Glen Isle, along with project manager Darren Monti and staff members assembled the prospective neighborhood, replete with Garvies Point Preserve, 16-story residential units interspersed with four-story buildings, proposed retail and cultural area, boat slips and 25 percent open space and parks, among other features. The model displayed 860 residential units, the contracted number approved by the IDA/CDA, but which is still subject to approval by an Environmental Impact Study and other factors.

A ferry terminal was depicted; however, the proposed Glen Cove Ferry Terminal is a Glen Cove, not Glen Isle, project. Missing from the model was the Glen Cove Firehouse, which Glen Isle has proposed moving to another site, should a suitable one be found, in order to open the vista, or "view corridor" to the water as one enters Glen Cove via the Arterial Highway.

The meeting was an educational session for IDA and CDA members, many of whom are new to the boards as of Mayor Ralph V. Suozzi's administration. Mr. Monti said he was happy for the opportunity to bring those new members "up to speed" and to show them "how the project has evolved." While the public was invited to attend, no questions or comments from the public were entertained.

To many in attendance, the model was the draw. Most have been regulars for the past 18 months at any and all meetings that have dealt with the waterfront, from the blight of the brownfield to the cleanup of the creek and from the initial concept of commercial use of the property to its current mixed-use design.

Taking the lead in the presentation was Neil Kittridge, urban planner for the firm Beyer Blinder Belle Architects and Planners LLC. The project as proposed, said Mr. Kittridge, "could not work anywhere else in Glen Cove or surrounding areas," but given the slope of the topography at the waterfront, the tallest buildings could be "stepped up gradually from the water to the ridge of trees" of Garvies Point Preserve. "Sixteen stories sounds scary," said Mr. Kittridge, but the buildings would not have a "boxy" look, as they would both be stepped and separated by buildings of lesser height. When one walks along the water, he added, the lowest buildings are near, the taller ones farther away.

Milan Tyler, counsel for the IDA/CDA, reminded the attendees that 16 stories is not a height that has yet been approved by any city agency.

Following the meeting, Don Monti said, "I am very pleased with the way things went and look forward to seeing what happens next. I'm a firm believer that actions speak louder than words. It's time to roll up our sleeves and say 'Let's do it.'" Mr. Monti said that the last three weeks have been an "eye opener" for the developers. He said that the Glen Isle staff has visited 325 Glen Cove businesses and merchants and came away with just five negative reactions. "It is astounding to see the overwhelming support of the project that we are seeing," he said, adding that, in addition to approaching businesses, the Glen Isle staff has spoken with everyone who comes to their Glen Street office, and are finding that the more knowledge residents receive, the more enthusiastic their support becomes. "There will always be some negativity, no matter what happens," he said, but added that hopefully, the positive attitudes will continue to grow. "The project, and the model displayed for the IDA/CDA, is a continuing work in progress, constantly being tweaked. We have flexibility within the PUD ordinance and would like to make all adjustments in an expedient matter so when the project is finally built, it will be sustainable and right for the City of Glen Cove and its residents," Mr. Monti said.

Speaking with this reporter, Mayor Suozzi said, "I am pleased that the strategy that I put in place has influenced the Glen Isle Developers to finally come back before the IDA and CDA and subsequently to amend the PDEIS they submitted to the Glen Cove Planning Board last November. I have created a multi-step process of education for the new IDA members regarding their roles, the history of the waterfront development, up to and including the pre-existing LDA contract and the April 2005 amendment, and planned future public meetings. The result of this strategy was the meeting held last Tuesday night where the members of the IDA and CDA were given a chance to visualize, through the presentation of a model, what the waterfront developers were proposing at the time of the April 2005 amendment. Until the passing of the June 2007 IDA resolution, the waterfront redevelopers had refused to show this model publicly or to come back before the IDA as an essential next step. At this informational meeting, only the western portion of the original model was displayed while the eastern portion was from a newer model. Conceptually, it was at least enough to get the discussion going, although the model was not to scale."

The mayor stated he had stopped in at the Glen Isle information office and, "Oddly enough," he said, "I saw a model which was different than the one shown last week at the joint IDA/CDA meeting. This is one of the reasons why the public remains confused. The city and its agencies are finally being shown one model while the general public is being shown another. This makes it difficult to have a constructive dialogue about the future development of the waterfront property.

"While I am pleased that last week's meeting occurred," he said, "I want the people of Glen Cove to know that any future decisions regarding a final development plan for the Glen Cove Creek waterfront area must be based on factual and verifiable detailed information and not solely on concepts and draft versions of ideas. The residents of Glen Cove, the elected officials, appointed boards including the IDA, CDA and planning board, require much more information and accuracy. Last week's meeting was a step in the right direction, but it will require a lot more work, dialogue and disclosure to get to where we need to go."