Legislator Judy Jacobs (D-Woodbury) joined with her fellow legislators on Monday, Aug. 9, in approving the sale of a 144-acre parcel of county-owned land in Plainview, located on Round Swamp Road and Old Country Road. Charles Wang, chief executive officer of Computer Associates, purchased the 144 acres for a $23.05 million price tag.

A portion of the 45.9 acres is commercially zoned. The remaining land is zoned for single-family housing.

The much anticipated revenue will be used to help plug a $300 million county deficit, Jacobs said.

Below, Jacobs discusses the land sale and answers questions most commonly asked about the impact this sale will have on residents.

Jacobs has released the following, which she says are the most common questions that residents have about the sale, along with her responses.

What does Charles Wang intend to do with the property?

Mr. Wang indicated in a written statement that he has no immediate plans for the development of the property.

What buildings are on the Plainview property now?

There are currently over 20 buildings on the property, six used to house county-sponsored programs. They include among them, the Veterans Administration Clinic, an alcohol rehabilitation program, and the Cornell Cooperative Extension. The property also houses the Long Island Junior Soccer League offices.

What will happen to the county offices now?

The county has a five-year option to remain in the buildings rent free. At the end of five years the county must pay fair market rent.

What will happen to the LI Junior Soccer League?

The LI Junior Soccer League has a 20-year lease on the property and Mr. Wang has indicated in a statement that he will honor this lease. The Town of Oyster Bay soccer fields will also be allowed to remain, but could be relocated according to Mr. Wang.

Who will pay the taxes on the property?

Charles Wang will pay all the taxes - school, town, county and special district. Nassau County will reimburse Mr. Wang for part of their portion of the property that it is leasing from him.

Now that the property is back on the tax rolls, what will that mean to Plainview?

Based upon an appraiser's report, once the property is placed on the tax rolls it will generate about $1.4 million, $800,000 of that will be paid to the Plainview-Old Bethpage School District.

Can Mr. Wang change the zoning of the property?

In a letter sent to Legislator Jacobs from Mr. Wang, he stated that he would abide by all covenants. Anyone who would seek to change or lift these current covenants would have to file for such a change with the Town of Oyster Bay. Any such application would require a public hearing. According to Legislator Jacobs, Mr. Wang has reassured the community that he will maintain the previously agreed to buffers.

Despite the positive outcome of the land sale, the process by which Mr. Wang made an offer on the land was controversial. Originally, only 46 acres of the county-owned land in Plainview was slated for sale, but Mr. Wang made the county an offer of $23.05 million for the entire 144 acres. The county then entered into a contract with Mr. Wang without an open bidding process, according to Legislator Jacobs.

The loophole in the bidding process is due to a section of Nassau County Administrative Code that gives the county the authority to sell the land without issuing requests for proposals (RFP). Therefore, in March of this year, Legislator Jacobs proposed a local law that would require any land sale valued at more than $250,000 to be subject to an open bidding process.

If you have any other questions about the sale of the Plainview property, please call Legislator Jacobs at her Mineola office, 571-6216.