By Jonann Brady
An Oceanside-based development firm, Nationwide Protection Ltd., presented its plans for the housing complex to the East Rockaway Village Board and a handful of concerned neighbors at a public hearing last Tuesday night. The property, at 6 Fifth Ave., is zoned for mixed commercial and residential use, and the developers are seeking approval from the board for a residential zoning change in order to move ahead with the plan.
Douglas Michaelson, president of the company, and his father, Alan, an attorney for the firm, told the board that the "Golden Age" housing would consist of five two-story, townhouse-style buildings. Each 800-square-foot apartment, which would be available only to people over age 63, would have two bedrooms, and there would be one parking space per unit. The upper-level apartments would have terraces overlooking the water.
While the company has built housing in Baldwin, Oceanside, Island Park, Long Beach and other nearby communities, this would be its first senior-housing complex.
"I believe our project is consistent with the master plan of the village," said Douglas Michaelson. "It would add to the tax base and provide sorely needed senior housing. It's the right project at the right time."
But the board and residents had several questions about the affordability of the housing, safety issues and access to the water.
Michaelson estimated that each unit would cost about $200,000, with maintenance fees of $250 to $300 a month, and a number of people questioned whether this would be affordable to seniors, many of whom live on fixed incomes. "One of the reasons we're entertaining this proposal is to promote affordable housing," said Mayor Joseph Carrigan. "Do you think $200,000 is affordable?"
During the public-comment portion of the hearing, Chris Korzevinski, who lives at 10 Fifth Ave., said, "To me, that doesn't put it in the average senior's price range." To which a woman in the audience added, "Maybe for independently wealthy seniors."
Michaelson, though, said that based on Nassau County's skyrocketing housing prices, the proposed price was very affordable, especially for waterfront housing. "Based on my experience, we'll sell out in the first week," he said. He added that the company would give preference to East Rockaway residents if the village requested it.
The property currently has access to seven boat slips, and Michaelson said they would consider narrowing the slips to provide 10 -- one slip per unit. He added that the use of the slips would be restricted only to the owners and could not be rented out. The village attorney, Anthony Guardino, said that the firm needed to provide a letter from the Town of Hempstead to establish jurisdiction over the water.
Board members and neighbors also worried that 10 parking spaces might not be enough to accommodate the residents. While Michaelson assured the board that 10 was enough, Guardino asked for an affidavit from a traffic expert to confirm that.
Korzevinski also asked about the aesthetics of the building and the property. "To me, this is going to look like another commercial building that doesn't belong there," he said. "Who's going to maintain the building and do landscaping? The building seems too big for the space ... I'd rather see two one-family homes."
Michaelson assured the audience that the building and landscaping would fit in with the look and feel of the revitalized waterfront. "This will be built, developed, landscaped and maintained as a luxury product," he said.
Several people also questioned the safety of the building, particularly its accessibility for ladder trucks and exit routes in case of a fire. While Michaelson said the building would comply with all state codes, the board again asked for confirmation that a fire ladder could reach the upper-level units.
The board adjourned the hearing without reaching a decision, pending clarification of several questions. The Nassau County Planning Board also needs to approve the plan before the board can make its decision, Guardino said.
Nationwide Protection Ltd. has a contract to buy the property, pending approval from the board, said Village Building Department Superintendent Dennis McCabe. He did not know how much the property was selling for, and the Michaelsons did not return phone calls from the Herald.
Liz Collett, who lives next door, at 8 Fifth Ave., and asked the developer several questions at the meeting about bulkheads, flooding and the sale of the units, said in a phone interview after the hearing that the plan was "well presented" and that she was satisfied with Michaelson's answers to the questions.
Collett, who bought her house seven years ago, said of the senior-housing plan, "It would certainly be an improvement over the existing building."
