By Angela Marshall
The homes, all of which meet zoning requirements, will be two-story colonials with attached two-car garages. Each home will have its own distinct look, according to the developer, CRG Building Corp.
The property to be subdivided was owned by a doctor who died a few years ago. It is 2.4 acres and is located on the north-east side of Lincoln Avenue, a few blocks from Holy Trinity Lutheran Church.
Andrea Tsoukalas, who represented CRG during the hearing, said that there would be a unique feel to each of the homes. She said there would be lots of bay windows and gables. The exteriors would be a mixture of brick, vinyl siding and stucco. Designs for the houses still haven't received 100-percent approval from the village's panel of architects, who review projects before they go to the Architectural Review Board.
Neighbors didn't complain about the project as a whole, but they did criticize the developer for removing trees last year before going for subdivision approval. "Our privacy is totally being erased," said one Marion Place resident. "I like trees. I like to have my privacy."
After a number of neighbors spoke about the need for trees, Bill Croutier, a Planning Board member, said that the board shares their concern and plans to address it. "There was no excuse for what was done," he said.
The developer's landscape plan calls for 53 trees in all, 34 measuring two to 2 1/2 inches around and 19 measuring 1 1/2 to two inches. There are 85 trees on the property now. A few may be removed because they are diseased.
Planning Board Chair Mary Beth Kearns told the developer that the board would like to see a revised landscape plan, with more trees, at the next hearing. She also asked the developer to look into providing some larger trees.
The developer said that adding more trees wouldn't be a problem.
The Nassau County Planning Commission's decision on the subdivision called for the shortening of the cul de sac, McGann Drive, from 385 feet to roughly 350 feet in order to move it away from the rear neighbors' back yards. The commission also called for the creation of a berm, a dirt barrier covered with wood chips, to block rainwater from running off on the rear neighbors' properties. The specifics of the berm's size and shape are still being discussed.
A traffic expert, Ron Hill, studied the flow of traffic in the area and checked police accident records. He said the traffic increase caused by the new road would be negligible, and he anticipated a low rate of accidents at the corner. When asked if he thought it was safe to make a left turn onto Lincoln, Hill said yes. He said drivers would have to wait for a sufficient gap in traffic, but that they should have it.
At least one neighbor still expressed concern about the increased traffic, saying that the children from these homes will go to the Oceanside School District and that their parents might try to cross Lincoln Avenue to get to Reid Avenue.
The board will ask any remaining questions at the March 18 hearing and may move into a public-work session to decide on the subdivision at that meeting.
