A meeting of the Board of Zoning and Appeals (BZA) of the Town of North Hempstead was held on Tuesday, April 15 and the second agenda item was a hearing of the potential development of a portion of the Christ Church property and the request by the developer for rezoning from Residence B to Multiple Residence.

This potential development, in brief, is a low-rise condo complex consisting of one building, with no more than 61 total units, two bedrooms each, for 55 and older residents. The proposed building would be four stories and purportedly within one foot of the height of the existing structure. The proposed design places the building in the center of the property, screening it from the surrounding neighbors. Entrance and exit routes would remain the same, Northern Boulevard and George Street. Each unit would have two parking spaces, one above and one below ground.

The Heritage, as it will be called, has drawn the attention of the entire Manhasset community as was displayed by the standing room only crowd at the hearing. Attendees from all neighborhoods in Manhasset-not just those surrounding the proposed development-were there and were vocal, a strong indication that the residents of Manhasset are considering the overall potential impact of the development.

This second agenda item started at about 7:40 p.m. and ran until 11:50 p.m. The three and one-half hours on this topic clearly was just the beginning so the BZA moved to adjourn until their meeting on May 27. As part of this process, there is an open public comment period allowing residents the opportunity to communicate their opinions to the town board. This comment period remains open until the board closes it so residents have at least until the May 27 meeting to file their comments with the town.

Organizations throughout town will be drafting lists containing their primary concerns to go on record with the town with their concerns.

Following is a brief summary of the events of the meeting:

When the topic was announced, Reverend David Lowry, Rector of the Christ Church began the presentation providing the history of the church and explaining why they were looking to sell a portion of their land. The presentation was then handed over to the potential purchasers and developers of the site, Jobco Realty & Construction of Great Neck. The developer had several representatives speak on their behalf including their attorney, civil engineer, planning firm, traffic consultant and architect. The developer, Mr. Michael Puntillo, spoke and concluded their presentation.

The presentation by this team mirrored the presentation given to civic organizations and interested groups throughout town including the Manhasset Chamber of Commerce. One notable exception was the mention of a potential transfer of the deed of a house on George Street, presently owned by the developer, to the town as part of this development. In previous presentations to civic groups they had been informed the intent of the developer was to renovate this house and retain it as residential. North Hempstead Town Supervisor Jon Kaimen, when asked later, said there was no agreement to this. Yet the concern has been raised. Later through a spokesman the developer, Michael Puntillo, stated that he had no intention of deeding the property to the town and prefer it remain as is.

Following the presentation, those who had completed cards requesting to speak were called to address the town board and somewhere in the neighborhood of three dozen residents addressed the board. While the topics of each party varied, the message was consistent and clearly against this development in Manhasset or at least against the size and location of this development.

The most common complaints were the overall size of the structure with 61 units and imposing mass and height, location of the structure - being "shoe horned" into this spot and being far too close to the residents of George Street and Onderdonk Avenue and the resulting increase in traffic regardless of the minimal impact stated by the developer's traffic consultant.

Many other concerns were raised, including the "back fill of housing" where Manhasset residents who sell their homes to move into this development sell to families with school age children. Despite Mr. Puntillo's assertions, Councilman Fred Pollack stated that there was an impact on the Port Washington School District as a result of the development of Mill Pond (used by the developer as a comparison). Traffic concerns were not limited to the obvious impact to George Street and Onderdonk Avenue. Concerns were raised that Plandome Road, and the communities of Norgate and North Strathmore would also be directly impacted by this development - in addition to adding to the general congestion of the area.

An attendee noted that approximately half of the audience was comprised of people 55 or older who did not show interest in possibly moving into the development. Many spoke of the fact, she said, that people move out of homes in Manhasset because they are no longer willing or able to pay the high taxes.

Norman Nemec of Onderdonk Avenue spoke on behalf of 16 families that reside on Onderdonk Avenue and George Street with a long list of concerns about the application submitted to the town, the implications of a building this size and the effect it would have on the quality of life and the property values of all in the area, specifically those households he represents. Nemec circulated a petition and stated that in just over one day he gathered 250 signatures in opposition to the development.

One way civic groups encourage Manhasset residents to submit their comments to the town board is via Councilwoman Maria Christina (Kitty) Poons at poonsm@northhempstead.com or fax her at 869-7688.

If you were unable to attend the meeting or attend a presentation by the developer you can find a summary of a previous presentation in the April 9 edition of the Manhasset Press or read it online on that date at www.antonnews.com.

John Crewe is the president of the Manhasset Park Civic Association.