At the last board of trustees meeting, Village of Roslyn Mayor John Durkin made a surprise announcement, introducing Michael Epstein, the former Roslyn businessmen. Throughout the 1970s and much of the '80s, Mr. Epstein was in Roslyn, operating My Father's Place, which as Mayor Durkin acknowledged, was one of the premier clubs in all of Long Island, if not the entire United States.

Mr. Epstein briefly spoke before the board of trustees, asking them to give him a chance to re-establish My Father's Place somewhere in the village. "I beg of the board," he said, "please let me come back." While the timing of the hearing was a surprise, the sentiment was not. Although he left Roslyn in the 1980s, Mr. Epstein has always spoken fondly of his years in the village, while hinting of his desire to return there. In recent summers, he has produced live concerts in the village, using Montgomery's (currently the Roslyn Road Cafe) and Friend of A Farmer to host such acts as Mick Taylor, former guitarist for The Rolling Stones and Rick Danko, formerly of The Band.

At the BOT hearing, Mr. Epstein mentioned space on Lumber Road as a possible site for a new club. The area in question is 14,000-sq. ft. in size. Any building, he admitted, would have to operate a day business in addition to being a nightclub. Not surprisingly, parking would be a problem, especially for a club that would hope to hold up to 600-700 people.

Mr. Epstein also recalled his glory days in Roslyn, when the village became the destination for young people all throughout the tri-state area. In those days, Mr. Epstein claimed that he was always accommodating when local officials asked him to provide certain favors to the village. The club, ever since its founding in 1969, was highly successful, yet "for reasons unknown," Mr. Epstein recalled that he "had to leave" Roslyn. But now, he wants to come back. Mr. Epstein wants to be where the original My Father's Place was. Artists who got their start in Roslyn would want to return to the village themselves, to "come back to their roots." If Mr. Epstein had a club in, say, Massapequa, then certain homecomings by big name stars wouldn't quite be the same. Some 1970s figures who played at My Father's Place and then went on to greater fame include Billy Joel and Bruce Springsteen.

Mr. Epstein said he would "discuss any issues" with village officials. For his part, Mayor Durkin said the issue is not what happened in the past, but what Mr. Epstein wants to do now.

That would mean the area in question, specifically, how it is defined under the village's zoning code. The zoning issue presents a burden to Mr. Epstein that Mayor Durkin said "may or may not be insurmountable."

John Gibbons, sitting in for Village Attorney John Spellman as legal counsel for the BOT, said Mr. Epstein would, above all, first need a permitted use variance. Mr. Epstein, the attorney said, would have to convince various village boards, not just the board of trustees, to change the area's permitted use. Mr. Gibbons added that this might be a burden Mr. Epstein would be unable to carry.

Mr. Epstein countered that he was willing to both buy a building and construct municipal parking, if need be. "Let me operate there," he said of the site under discussion. He added that he would acquire real estate, including a municipal lot, as a way to take the pressure off the village over the parking issue. However, Mr. Gibbons reiterated that Mr. Epstein would have to convince the Board of Zoning Appeals that such a club would make the proper financial return to justify such a change in permitted uses.

While Mr. Gibbons did not sound optimistic, Mayor Durkin tried to put a good face on the surprise hearing. He said the purpose of Mr. Epstein's appearance was to allow him to tell the BOT what he wanted and for the BOT, in turn, to explore the options open to their guest. The mayor said the BOT could make no promises regarding any future plans by Mr. Epstein, but he did say that the BOT would do what it could to make Mr. Epstein's vision a reality.