Residents need answers on 1st Precinct lease deal

On Monday, Nov. 16, the Nassau County Legislature will vote on a lease to authorize the construction of a state-of-the-art 1st Police Precinct in the Rosen Shopping Center on Grand Avenue.

In theory, such a project is long overdue. The precinct’s boundaries include some high-crime areas, and the police deserve — and no doubt require — a new facility, in which they can better serve the community. On paper, however, the multimillion-dollar deal raises significant concerns. There are a number of details in the proposed lease that residents need to know about and deserve to have a say on.

Most residents we have spoken with over the past year said they were eagerly anticipating the arrival of the new precinct, and many were in favor of the Rosen Shopping Center location, which Legislator Joe Scannell (D-Baldwin) has pushed for. Many were not aware, however, that they would be billed for the construction of the building, rent and property taxes and be on the hook for any additional costs incurred by Rosen. But that’s how the deal works.

The county will pay up to $9.7 million for the construction of the precinct. That money has already been budgeted in the county’s capital plan, but the Legislature needs to sign off on the borrowing for it. For rent over 30 years, the county will pay approximately $8.5 million, and nearly $4.8 million will be spent on property taxes. When all the numbers are added up, the 1st Precinct may cost Nassau taxpayers more than $20 million over 30 years, and that’s not including the county’s option to renew for an additional 30 years.