60.0°,
Light Rain and Breezy Grossmann’s Farm to be subdivided?
Village of Malverne slated to get .59-acre parcel in agreement
As a part of a deal that would allow Nassau County to acquire Grossmann's Farm in Malverne, county officials and the Grossmann family are proposing to subdivide the family's property into three parcels, one of which would be given to the village.
In a deal that was approved unanimously by the county Legislature on Sept. 21, the county is slated to purchase the property from the Grossmann family for $6.5 million and maintain it as open space. The county is permitted to acquire the property under its 2006 Environmental Program Bond Act, a $100 million program that has allowed the county to preserve open space and farmland, renovate parks and protect drinking water, bays and harbors, among other environmental initiatives.
Under the deal, the village would get a 25,561-square-foot (or .587-acre) parcel of land on Arlington Avenue, a 10,529-square-foot (or .242-acre) parcel on Ocean Avenue would remain with the Grossmann family, and the county would acquire the farm itself, which is roughly five acres in size.
The latest development has prompted many residents to question the plans the village has for the parcel it would get in the deal. One resurfacing suggestion is that the property should be home to a community center, something that many residents have expressed the need for in the past.
Malverne Mayor Patricia McDonald said that the property's use has not been formally discussed and stressed that no decision would be made without the public's input. "I know that there are a lot of rumors circulating in the village about what's planned for this parcel of property and a community center is one of them, but no plans have been made for this property," McDonald said. "This is also an issue that would require input from the residents in this village, so no decision will be made without their input."
The village's planning board needs to approve the subdivision proposal before the deal can move forward. The board was scheduled to hold a public hearing on the subdivision on Wednesday, after the Herald went to press.
