The Town of Hempstead unanimously voted to reserve a decision regarding the Woodmere Club project, during a public hearing at Hempstead Town Hall.
The July 1 decision comes after a new proposal was submitted by the developers — Efrem Gerszberg and Robert Weiss — in June of last year.
The new proposal would feature a 160-unit, age-restricted, 55 and over, residential condominium community, A significant downscale from the original 284-single family home development first proposed eight years ago.
The smaller development would use 34 acres near Broadway, with the remaining 115 acres of property preserved as open, non-developable deed restricted land.
The new proposal received support from both Jacob Harmon and Samuel Nahmias, the mayors of Woodsburgh and Lawrence, respectively, at the Tuesday hearing.
“We believe that this proposed age restricted development, if executed thoughtfully, appears to be the most appropriate option for our community,” Harmon said. “It preserves a significant amount of open space, which aligns with the quiet and charming nature of our neighborhoods.”
“The overwhelming majority of input I received supports the proposed development of 160 age restricted condominiums for adults age 55 and older,” Nahmias added. “Many see this as the least disruptive path forward. The proposal preserves existing cul de sacs and street layouts, protecting the character and flow of the surrounding neighborhoods.”
Many community members who spoke during the public hearing remained divided on the nearly decade-long issue.
Many residents of Meadow Drive, one of the roads adjacent to the Woodmere Club remained concerned about the congestion that would arise from the project on both Meadow Drive and Broadway.
State Sen. Jack Martins, who served as the representative for the developers at the hearing, said that this new proposal would aim to limit traffic in that area.
“We understand that maybe a concern and I want to be clear, there is no right turn onto Meadow,” Martins said. “There is only a left turn when leaving the site that was done with purpose, so that access off of this site will go towards Broadway, but to the extent that we can accommodate the community, and the community wishes, that we do not have traffic coming into a local community.”
Some residents remain apprehensive about the project despite the updated proposal.
Woodmere resident Hannah Burdei voiced her concerns over the age restriction and the addition of a surplus of residents to the community.
“55 years and over is not that old, 55-year-olds have school aged children, there will be children, there will be teenagers, there will be recent college graduates living with them,” Burdei said. “Over 400 parking spots means there will be over 400 cars on our roads. Our neighborhood is woefully under invested. Our infrastructure is crumbling. It can barely handle the number of homes and residents we already have.”
A decision is expected in near future, town officials said.
Have an opinion on the Woodmere Club situation? Send a letter to
mberman@liherald.com.
