A chapter closed on May 6 when the Board of Zoning Appeals in the Village of Great Neck voted 4-1 to approve the variances sought by Frank Lalazarian of Oxford Developers to erect a 67-unit, three-story rental apartment building on the northwest corner of Arrandale Avenue and Middle Neck Road. After months of emotional and sometimes bitter public hearings with neighbor pitted against neighbor and a host of experts hired by the developer to make his case, the board approved the application whittling 6 inches from the height, 33'6", and shaving 7,000 square feet from the total 78,000 square footage at the May 6 meeting. The original proposal was for a 78 unit, four-story apartment building.

On the last evening of the hearing, resident and architect Walter Blum suggested that since the issue has been so divisive, a compromise might be more readily reached if a PUD (planned unit development) was formed to consider the design and development of the property. He pointed to Tuscan Court as an example of a visually appealing development, not only from the street, but from the apartments that overlook a courtyard instead of a busy street. It was clear that board members were not willing to delay a decision about the project, which has been debated for months, nor did they feel that a PUD, which is usually used for a large tract of land, was appropriate.

Mayor Richard Deem spoke indicating that the fire department comments on the record were contradictory. Reading from a report, he noted that if density becomes tighter, the response time for the fire department might suffer and necessitate building another fire station in the future.

Residents used the last opportunity to speak to argue once more against the project's encroaching on land zoned AA. Board Chairman Dennis Grossman backed by village attorney, Stephen Limmer stated flatly that the zoning board by virtue of its responsibility to grant exceptions to the code, does not set precedents. However, resident Mike Maxwell countered that perhaps from a legal perspective a precedent would not be set for downzoning, but that such a move "would affect your mindset about what is acceptable."

The Nassau Planning Commission in reviewing the project, recommended that there be egress onto Arrandale Avenue; however, residents were solidly against such a proposal and the zoning board supported the community's position. A super majority of the board is required to overturn a Nassau County Planning Commission recommendation. Egress will be on Middle Neck Road.

After months of mostly listening, board members summarized their positions prior to voting. Board member Jeffrey Bass discussed the compromise which is not ideal in the eyes of the community or developer, but which in his opinion is workable and lessens the impact of the development. He noted that the process has been "tedious, judicial, and emotional." Norman Namdar emphasized that there would be strict limitations placed on the developer based on input from the community over the preceding months.

Dr. Jeffrey Cole, also a board member, reminded everyone that the AA lot, 5 Arrandale Avenue, would primarily be a 70' wide landscaped greenspace, which would protect the look of the neighborhood even though there would be a 12' to 14' intrusion for underground parking. He also commented that the application was one of the most "cantankerous ever."

Board member Victor Habib, who voted against the application, stated that in his opinion the applicant had not proven "hardship." He said, "It is not our duty to be concerned about the tax base," a reference to a concern that hovered in the background regarding what would happen to the property if the application were not approved, namely that it would be sold to a religious institution. He added, "How can we say that 200 cars will not have an impact?"

Chairman Dennis Grossman feels confident that the $18 million project will revitalize the area and "will be beneficial in the long run." He also urged residents to reconsider filing an Article 78, an appeal process, stating that it would not succeed, but would be "harmful and expensive" to the village. He said that the community should understand that this is a "business decision, not an emotional one." After the meeting, Mr. Grossman stated that the village will move forward to mitigate traffic concerns in the area by examining options for slowing down the traffic.

The developer will now go before the village's Planning Board and the Architectural Review Board moving from conceptual to specific plans. Public input will continue to be part of the process.

(Editor's note: The reporter resides on Arrandale Avenue.)