It’s getting close to the 19th hole

The countdown has begun. In about five years, the Woodmere Club may close, and Weiss Properties and 2020 Acquisitions, the companies that bought the 109-year-old club last month, might build a residential development on its 110 acres.

“The Woodmere Club, for several years, like many golf clubs across the country, has experienced a shrinking membership,” John Wiener, the club’s president, said in a news release. “This sale is our solution to sustain the club in its current form without sacrificing service and amenities through 2022.”

Troon Privé, a global golf course management, development and marketing company, will operate the club for the next five years. The first 30 members to join under a new program will pay $11,500 in annual dues. That includes access to all club facilities for the primary member. A spouse and dependents can be added for $1,000. The club has an 18-hole, par-70 golf course, six tennis courts, an elevated swimming pool, a fitness center and several dining choices.

“We’re thrilled to have Troon Privé manage the Woodmere Club,” Efrem Gerszberg of 2020 Acquisitions said in an article in The GolfBiz, a golf business website. “They are the best in the private club industry, and will operate Woodmere as a Class A private club. Our new membership program is meant to breathe new life into this historic club.”

After 2022, development of the property could start. The land, which is mostly in the hamlet of Woodmere, is zoned Residence B. The Town of Hempstead’s zoning allows single-family detached homes, senior residence housing, agriculture or nursery uses —provided that there is no display for commercial purposes or advertisements on the premises and municipal recreational use.

Woodsburgh Mayor Lee Israel said that the village would apply its strict zoning, development and usage ordinances to maintain the integrity and character of the community. The club is in two village zoning districts — one- or two-acre lots — for single-family housing only, he said. “It is my job as mayor, along with the board of trustees, to ensure that Woodsburgh preserves the rural charm of the village for which it is known,” Israel said. The club is also adjacent to Cedarhurst and Lawrence villages.

The possibility that at least 150 homes, if not more, could be built on what is now open space spurred residents in the area to create an online petition opposing possible overdevelopment. As of press time, 888 people had added their names.

Many community members believe that densely populated communities and congested roadways already overburden the area, while the impact on resources such as water could affect their quality of life.

The Avery, a 450-apartment development in Willingboro, N.J., is a Weiss Properties project. Woodsburgh resident Mario Alex Joseph is not happy with the prospect of the Woodmere Club’s land transforming into something similar.
“This isn’t a military base,” Joseph said in a Facebook post, about that complex. “I’m informed that it’s a congested snot of land development, compliments of the same builder looking to churn the 100-acre-plus Woodmere Club into town No. six. No thanks. I’m supporting the effort by Howard J. Kopel to extend the moratorium.”

In November, the Town of Hempstead imposed a six-month building moratorium on residential development on privately owned golf course properties. The ban could be extended another six months.

“My intention is to renew the moratorium,” said Councilman Bruce Blakeman. The next town meeting is on May 9, at 10 a.m., at Town Hall, 1 Washington St. in Hempstead.

Kopel, a county legislator, created another petition on his website for people who support an extension of the moratorium. There are 550 names on that petition. “I’m hearing from a lot of people,” Kopel said. “It’s all they want to talk, about and it’s really upsetting. I drive down Broadway every day, and it’s obvious the infrastructure is old.”

Noting that a previous developer proposed building at least 150 homes on the club’s land and referring to the 450-unit complex in New Jersey, the county legislator said, “It’s an area that cannot take that kind of development.”

When it comes time to review the proposed development plans, Blakeman said, the town would look out for its constituents. “We are also going to hire engineers and planners that will report to us, and we will get recommendations that best protect the people who live there,” he said. “We are looking at everything. All options are on the table.”

To access the resident petition, visit http://bit.ly/2pPFQhI.
For Kopel’s petition, go to http://bit.ly/2p1EDQf.

Have an opinion on the fate of the Woodmere Club? Send your letter to the editor to jbessen@liherald.com.