Lynbrook mayor forms committee focused on public outreach

With many residents voicing concern that information was not readily available about a recently rejected proposal to construct an apartment complex and parking garage in downtown Lynbrook, Mayor Alan Beach has formed a committee to address the issue.

The committee — which comprises a dozen volunteers, including members of the Chamber of Commerce, community leaders, residents and former village officials — met for two hours at Village Hall on Dec. 20 to discuss ways to better disseminate information to residents about potential developments in the community. The objective, Beach said, was to enable residents to learn about the proposals, formulate opinions and provide feedback.

“My goal is to let people get informed as much as possible,” Beach said, “so we can bring them up to date and give them as much information as possible about what’s going on in our great village.” Beach, who will run for re-election in March, noted that he intended to help launch the committee and then take a hands-off approach going forward as it meets each month. Formation of the committee follows the cancelled Cornerstone at Lynbrook project, which was proposed by developer Anthony Bartone of the Farmingdale-based Terwilliger & Bartone Properties. Bartone’s goal was to build a 200-unit apartment complex and a four-story parking garage on what are now two municipal parking lots in the village.

The project proposal was met with mixed reviews, with some residents saying they were concerned that they had not known the project was in the works. Beach and the board of trustees voted unanimously to cancel it on Nov. 19, after postponing a public hearing.

Chamber of Commerce officer Mike Davies was named chairman of the committee, and lauded Beach for addressing residents’ concerns. “It’s my hope that this newly formed committee will provide the mayor and village board with recommendations on additional steps they can take to help disseminate information and solicit feedback from our community,” he said. Former Mayor William Geier said he was honored to be a part of the committee and commended Beach for “acknowledging some of the residents’ concerns regarding new development projects.”

Though there was active chatter on social media about the Cornerstone proposal and frequent updates on the village’s website, several residents approached the lectern at past village meetings and said they were unaware that the project had been proposed. Beach noted that the committee will update the board of trustees about its ideas at future meetings, but cautioned that recommendations should not impede the duties of the board to make final decisions. He added that the suggestions also should not bind the Board of Zoning Appeals or the village’s Architectural Review Committee. Beach added that Village Attorney Tom Atkinson would review any recommendations made to the board.

“We’re trying to figure out how to get residents more involved in what’s going on while still making sure the board functions as it should,” Beach said.

In addition to the Cornerstone, residents complained about a lack of information about other projects in the past, including a developer’s 13-year attempt to build a Marriott in downtown Lynbrook, which never came to fruition, and the development of the Atria Lynbrook Senior Living facility, on Ocean Avenue.

Recommendations discussed at the first meeting included the creation of a resident development review council to pass along information to fellow residents; the posting of plans, renderings, studies and reports associated with developmental projects on the village’s website; and a requirement to have developers host open houses and information forums before public hearings about their proposals. Bartone hosted an open house about the Cornerstone project, which was attended by hundreds of residents, but the application was terminated before a public hearing.

While the Cornerstone project was terminated, Beach has been a staunch proponent of developing the downtown. One area that village officials have long sought to develop is the site of the former Mangrove Feather factory, on Broadway, which has been vacant for decades. In November 2017, developers from the Garden City-based Breslin Realty Development Corp. began discussions with building owner Barry Singer and village officials to build rental apartments, and talks are ongoing.

Beach said his job is to make Lynbrook affordable for middle-class families, and attracting new development projects to shore up and expand the tax base is vital to doing so, as long as the projects do not jeopardize the village’s character. He added that modern technology should make it easier for residents to stay informed. “There’s nothing being done under the table, and we’re not trying to sneak anything in,” he said. “Times have changed. Social media is a big part of life now.”