HALB files proposed Number Six School plan

The Hebrew Academy of Long Beach (HALB) filed its tentative plan for the Number Six School with the Town of Hempstead’s Zoning Board of Appeals.
HALB is in the process of purchasing the 6.67-acre site, which includes the 80,170-square-foot school building, for $8.5 million, along with $2.7 million that will be held as a guarantee that the Lawrence School District will realize at least $565,000 in annual savings on what the district now spends on transportation and special education for HALB students.
In two years, HALB is expected to move its Long Beach-based elementary school — which houses kindergarten through eighth grade, currently 800 students — to the school on Church Avenue in Woodmere, officials previously said. The academy’s West Broadway building in Long Beach will most likely be sold.
“We already filed our preliminary plan with the zoning board and are waiting feedback,” said Lance Hirt, president of HALB’s board. We know that our initial plan will be rejected given the fact that we are making some minor changes to the current layout and use of the site. We hope that this will happen shortly, which should put us in front of the BZA in the fall.”
Having the initial plan beg rejected is part of the process, whenever changes are being sought, Hirt said. The BZA reviews the proposed changes, and then either denies them or grants approval.

“[HALB] submitted plans to our building department and those plans are under building department review,” said Susan Trenkle-Pokalsky, a town spokeswoman. “They will have to make some modifications to the plans and provide some additional information before they can be sent to the board of appeals.”
Previously HALB officials said that renovations to the building are needed to make better use of the classroom space and public areas, install a new roof and windows to improve energy efficiency, put in a state-of-the-art heating and air conditioning system, along with new electrical and plumbing systems that comply with current building codes.
Lawrence officials announced that they are now strictly enforcing its distance standards for transportation and eliminated busing for 220 public and private school students. Hirt said that the yearly savings the district is expected to realize was presumed to be based on strict compliance with the distance standards. “I actually believe that the annual savings will far exceed that estimate — if [HALB’s] student enrollment stays close to what it is today, the numbers will be higher.”
Murray Forman, president of Lawrence’s Board of Education did not return calls for comment by press time.