The Levittown Property Owners Association (LPOA) met on Dec. 10, 2002, with a one-issue agenda - the construction of a church at the North Village Green, located at Parkside Drive and Schoolhouse Road/Wolcott Road. The church serves a congregation whose members are from communities outside of Levittown and is called St. Thomas Malankara Orthodox Catholic Church. The issue brought residents from near the Green's pool/park/commercial area en masse, numbering over 100, a standing-room only group concerned about the presently ongoing demolition and plans for the building. The roof and interior of the vacant building have been removed so that it now resembles a bombed out ruin, South Bronx/Fort Apache style.

Residents were present to hear from the architect of the project, John A. Notaro, and the attorney, Keith C. Jewell, of the law firm Murphy, Bartol and O'Brien, LLP, who represented property owners at the Town of Hempstead Board of Zoning Appeals hearing. Property owners plan to use the remaining walls of the one-story commercial building to construct a church with a basement at this location, but they need a variance for off-street parking spaces using town-owned or municipal parking lots. They seek variances for 73 parking spaces to serve a congregation of 70 families. The commercial or business-zoned areas have two parking fields located on each side of the four one-story buildings situated there. Besides the subject site, there is a building used by Montessori School, another as a nursery school/day camp, a business office and a gas station. LPOA President Jim Morrow suggested that residents hear a presentation describing the plans from Notaro and Jewell before asking them specific questions.

Notaro began by saying the property owners now own two other churches, one in Franklin Square and one in New Hyde Park, and rent another in Floral Park. It is the Floral Park church which they plan to relocate at the North Village Green. The church serves 150 parishioners or 70 families. Notaro stated that the church floor plan will have a main ground level room with vestments area and altar, with an office and toilet, a stairway to basement rooms (which will include a community room for church-related functions - not rented out), a warming kitchen (not used for cooking) and toilets. He added that "additional planting areas on the Schoolhouse Road side would include taller evergreens whose canopy would screen residential areas. The front doors will be on the short side of the building, will face west and will not affect the neighbors as they open from an interior courtyard. It will have a stucco finish (white/beige), a slate roof with a 38.2' peak, steeple (50.1') and cross (in the rear, 58.2'). Also, its times of use are when other buildings at the site are not in use."

He claimed there are 120 parking spaces in the town parking lots on each side of the building, and the nearby bowling alley provides its own parking spaces. He said that the existing building walls occupy 5,912 square feet, landscaping 49 square feet with 29 percent lot coverage. (The permit application says the lot is 16,300 square feet, floor area 5,890 square feet, 36 percent of lot occupied.)

As residents asked questions of the architect and attorney, they were reminded by President Morrow to seek information, not argue.

One of the first questions was, "If the town denies variances to use the town's parking fields, then what?" Jewell and Notaro replied that they would challenge the town with an Article 78 appeal proceeding.

Many thoughtful questions included, "In the other two churches the denomination owns, did they need variances for parking? This group has churches in Franklin Square and New Hyde Park and is renting in Floral Park. Why did they choose this location in Levittown? Where do their members come from? Do they live in Levittown? Can they use our swimming pool and playgrounds at this location? If there are 70 families served, double that for a couple, with children or relatives, this is possibly over 200 to 300 people. Is this legal occupancy? What is the height of the church? All of the existing churches in Levittown own or provide their own off-street parking. Why should this church be an exception? Isn't this a bad precedent? Are they incorporated? Do they pay taxes? If not, why should they be permitted to use town-maintained parking spaces? What about liability? What about dumpsters outside the building? Parties or social gatherings? Why did they choose a residential area and not a vacant commercial area? If they get parking permits, who can use parking areas, residents (taxpayers) who use the pool and/or playgrounds, or non-taxpaying church members? What about church activities besides services and their hours? As churches are tax-exempt, do other churches get permits to use town-maintained parking lots? Church memberships can grow. Are there limitations? What about fire suppression in the kitchen area? Since two schools already use the parking, what about traffic studies? How about parking in front of residential homes on local streets?," etc.

Responses from Notaro and Jewell included, "The site was selected from the real estate market, the group preferred a residential area in this central location, and the price was right. Their membership comes from communities outside Levittown such as East Meadow, Muttontown, Jericho, Floral Park, New Hyde Park; the pastor lives in Garden City Park. As for fire safety, there will be three foot side doors besides the front door, and sprinklers. The kitchen will be used for warming only, not cooking, with no steel sink or dishwasher, and garbage to be taken away from the site by members so no dumpsters will be needed. A traffic study is being worked on. The building occupancy is 290 based on state code. The regular church area holds 164, the lower area 150 and it's a dual use building on two levels. Plantings will have sprinkler systems and the building is air conditioned. The parking will be on a first come first served basis if granted."

The meeting concluded with many questions and concerns unresolved. LPOA members agreed that parking was the only valid legal hurdle facing the church at this site, and emphasized that all other churches in the Levittown community own or provide their own off-street parking facilities for their congregations.

President Morrow stated that it would have been beneficial to have the LPOA's pastor at the meeting to respond to many of the questions, and reminded those present that the next meeting of the LPOA will be on Jan. 14 at 7:30 p.m. in the Levittown Library Community Meeting Room and the public hearing before the Town of Hempstead Board of Zoning Appeals regarding this issue is scheduled for Feb. 5 at 2 p.m. Those living within 200 feet of the site will be notified by mail of the meeting.

At the conclusion of the meeting, many visiting residents joined the LPOA as it provides a forum for discussion of issues which concerns Levittown.