HALB plans presented at town meeting

Concerns about parking and additions to the Number Six School were raised by residents during the Town of Hempstead’s Board of Appeal hearing on March 11 regarding the proposed plans of the Hebrew Academy of Long Beach (HALB) that is in the process of finalizing its $8.5 million purchase of the Woodmere property from the Lawrence School District.
HALB is seeking permission to add a floor to the two-story building, limit street parking, allow parking in the residential area, create a circular driveway on Branch Boulevard and construct several fences of varying sizes along the property. The site is 6.7-acres. The school building is 80,170-square feet in size.
Bill Bonesso, HALB’s lawyer, presented two scenarios for drop off and pick up of the students. One would have car riders being dropped off and picked up on Ibsen Street and buses using the parking lot off of Branch Boulevard. The second plan is the reverse of that.
“Either would work, and we’ve had both plans reviewed by a traffic consultant,” he said. “Since the neighbors of the school preferred the second scenario, should we be approved, that’s what we’d like to use.”
Some residents such as Steven Mann, who live near the Woodmere school, were concerned about traffic in the streets near his home. “Along Church (Avenue) and Peninsula (Boulevard), there are parking regulations,” he said. “How would this be addressed? With cars dropping off students, cars will make a right turn. Is Branch Boulevard equipped to handle the amount of cars?”

The school itself is equipped to handle approximately 900 children. HALB Executive Director Richard Hagler said there would be children in grades one through eight, which would amount to about 780 children. “We do not have any children of driving age,” he said, explaining that there wouldn’t be a need for more parking spaces to accommodate high school-age student drivers. “We expect to have 200 employees. Because of the nature of the school, the teachers for the most part are not full-day, so we would have some coming in the morning and some in the afternoon.”
William Katz, another Woodmere resident, expressed his concern about the additional height to the building. “I installed solar panels on my home because it was suggested through the Town of Hempstead that I do so,” he said. “Now, I’m not a solar panel expert, but wouldn’t the construction of these structures block the panels from the sun, and from being effective?”
Christopher Hunt, an architect from the Port Jefferson-based firm JAG Architects, said the plans for the structure would include a penthouse level on the school. “It wouldn’t block your panels,” he told Katz.
A decision on HALB’s requests is expected near the end of the month Bonesso said. Board of Appeals members plan to visit the area. Nassau County’s Department of Public Works will need to approve the Branch Boulevard part as it’s a county road.

Have an opinion about HALB’s plans? Send your letter to the editor to jbessen@liherald.com.