Few people who lived in the once bucolic Woodbury decades ago could have imagined multiple office buildings cropping up along Woodbury Road in place of where corn and cabbage once grew.

Many of Woodbury's businesses have emerged in the industrial park area existing between Woodbury Road and Sunnyside Boulevard. And just as business has expanded, so has the number of homes. Eagle Chase Condominiums, alongside Sunnyside Blvd, is one such example.

Numerous members of these condominiums, concerned over how future construction projects would impact them, attended an Oyster Bay Town Hall hearing on Tuesday, June 2. The hearing was to determine whether Tilles Industries will be granted permission to construct a new four-story office building alongside Froehlich Farm Boulevard, a cross-street that intersects Woodbury Road. Residents overlooking the site are concerned that the intended scale of the proposed project exceeds the scope of previous development, and would damage the aesthetic quality and real estate value of their properties.

In other words, size apparently does matter, as some people see the potential new development as a potential Godzilla towering over Woodbury. "We're not concerned with the use, but the size of the use," said Barry Warren, who's on the board of managers of Eagle. Warren called the building plans "totally disproportionate" to the community and surrounding buildings.

The town board's decision to grant a special use permit for the proposed 48 foot high, 103,000 square foot office building with 460 parking spaces in a region zoned for light industry was reserved. Nevertheless, the board gave the condo residents and Tilles representatives the impression that it would allow the development to occur if mitigating factors were in place to ensure that such a tall building would detract from the community as little as possible. "Let's put our heads together and see what we come up with," said Venditto.

Tilles Industries, which bears a reputation for responsible construction, already had several aesthetic safeguards planned, and seemed amiable and willing to take further suggestions.

Though a special use permit is needed to build an office in a light industrial zone, this is not uncommon; many other buildings in this region are also offices, including the GEICO building and the Tilles-owned 1,000 Woodbury, the only four-story building currently on the premises. Technically, property owners in this region have an as-of right-use for such buildings as warehouse facilities, but, said Tilles attorney Wayne Edwards in an interview, that is something Tilles would never consider because "it doesn't fit the Woodbury community."

However, an office building , said real estate broker Bert Nelson, is the "best use of a non-residential zone abutting a residential zone."

Nelson was one of several experts that Edwards, who was first to take the floor at the hearing, introduced.

The most important topic the experts fielded was the community's sightline of the structure. "The height is something on everyone's mind," said Venditto to Edwards.

Architect Thomas Mojo addressed that concern. He said that the building would be designed with a "horizontality" which would "give the appearance that the building looks lower." Furthermore, the building would rest on a depressed region of land that lies lower than much of Woodbury, said the experts.

In addition, said landscaper Kevin Walsh, Tilles would spend $150,000 on landscaping fees to beautify and conceal the property. Landscaping would include the planting of 52 new trees and the replanting of mature white pines around the building, specifically on its south side, which faces the condominiums.

Venditto, however, pressed the issue, not altogether satisfied with what he deemed "illusions" to make a four-story building appear smaller. "You're not pretending that it's going to be invisible?" he asked. "We know that people are going to see it. What it comes down to is the question, is what they're going to see aesthetically pleasing?"

Point blank, he asked, "Has everything heavenly possible been done to soften the impact to residents of Eagle Chase?"

The experts assured that this was the case, but residents were unsure about many factors. For example, while some Chase Eagle residents were concerned about the potential blemish in their sightline, others were even more concerned that their houses would be in the line of view of voyeuristic fourth floor office workers.

"There will be people working on the third and fourth floor who are going to be able to look in bedrooms of approximately 18 residencies," complained Robert Tunick, attorney for Eagle Chase.

"The second floor of my condo would be in the sightline," chimed in one of the residents.

Nassau County Legislator Judy Jacobs, a resident in southern Woodbury and always a community ombudsman, spoke at the hearing. She did not oppose the development itself, but did ask for several modifications that would ease people's concerns.

One suggestion she offered, which several residents later echoed, is that Tilles agree to permanently establish a buffer zone between the office property and the nearest home. Under Tilles' current plan, there would originally be 65 feet between the most distant parking space and the nearest condominium. However, 25 feet of this buffer would be a land bank at the end of the parking lot, that could later be used to create additional spaces. The distance between office and condo would be significantly reduced if such expansion occurred. Residents want Tilles to promise never to expand the lot, and permanently keep the set-back distance at 65 feet.

Residents also warned that traffic could back up along such routes as Manetto Hill Road. Joe Epfania spoke on behalf of Nelson & Pope, the firm that conducted Tilles' traffic study. Four intersections were studied, said Epfania ¬ Froleich Farm Blvd. and Sunnyside Blvd., Woodbury Road and Froehlich Farm, Woodbury Road and Sunnyside, and Woodbury Road and Manetto Hill Road. According to Epfania , all intersections were rated with an A or B, except for Froleich Farm Blvd. and Sunnyside Blvd. from 5 to 5:15 p.m. Tilles Industries said it would pay for a traffic signal at that location. With such good ratings, the proposed building would not bear significant change on traffic conditions, said Epfania.

Nearby resident and Town Councilman Len Symons interjected. "There have been changes in traffic patterns because of Long Island Expressway construction," he said. "On Manetto Hill Road and Woodbury Road, there are marked differences in traffic patterns...since January. There's no doubt in my mind."

Tilles' studies were conducted on September 18, 1997, fourth months before Symons detected changes. Epfania insisted, however, that the study was conducted after the LIE work was completed, and so is accurate.

Nelson, the real estate broker, tried to convince the town board and residents that the condos' property values would not take a great hit. Nelson said that similar homes abutting office buildings "have appreciated slightly less" than other homes of their quality, but still go consistently upwards.

Edwards added that the facilities would have regular office hours. The lighting of the building, which would be glass, would be designed so that there is no reflective glare. Furthermore, said Edwards, garbage pick-up would take place in daylight hours.

Venditto offered some final thoughts at the hearing's conclusion, stating that he hopes Tilles and the community can work on a plan to limit the possible new building's impact, and that, in particular, he would like the proposed 65-foot buffer zone to "stick forever."