By:Karenlyn Barone
Victorian Manor Development, proposed by investor John Martino, owner of Deka Construction, involves the construction of a six-story apartment building, a commercial building and a single tiered parking structure. The development is proposed for the northwest corner of Broadway and Langdon Place, convenient to both the rail road and downtown shopping. The apartment building will house 90 one-bedroom units, each 1080 square feet in area, with 18 units on each floor and 94 sub-level parking spaces. Martino speculated the rent would be about $1400. per unit, per month, not including utilities. Retail stores will be located on the ground floor and accessible through an entrance separate from the apartment building.
Almost immediately Lynbrook Fire Chief John Crowley, Jr. was called upon to voice his concerns as they related to fire safety.
After sitting and looking over the plans, I have some serious concerns, said Crowley. How do I get my people up there to fight a fire.? Have you thought of the medical impact of 90 units?
Crowley also made important points regarding elevators being built to accommodate medical stretchers and alleyways left wide enough for firefighters to use for access to the building. His concerns were met with a round of applause from residents in the audience.
Calming some concerns, Martino did assure the board that the building would be constructed of steel and plank and a sprinkler system would be in place. Several times during the meeting, Martino-s attorney, William Bonesso voiced their willingness to work with the village to come up with a project that would serve the village well.
Mayor Gene Scarpato stated to those assembled that this was the first public hearing, held to provide an overview and gather comments, and that he expected much discussion before a decision was reached about whether or not to grant approval for the complex.
Perhaps the biggest issue was parking, an already valid concern for residents who commute from, or shop in downtown Lynbrook. Most residents felt that the parking spaces to be provided by Martino were not nearly sufficient for his tenants. The 90 unit building would offer only one space per lease.
The construction would include several tax parcels owned by the project sponsor, namely Martino, and the existing Lynbrook municipal parking field N.3. A virtual land-swap would be necessary, with the village giving a portion of that lot to the sponsor in return for a portion of the property he owns, used to provide parking spaces for the residents and commuters.
People are worried about where they are going to park, and they should be, said Village Trustee Bill Hendrick. Ten pounds of sausage in a five pound area, is not a good thing. We cannot have residents riding around unable to park.
According to Martino, the cost of the proposed development is $11 - 13 million dollars and construction would take from 12 - 18 months.
We have to weigh the benefits and the liability carefully, said Village Trustee Morrey Forman. If the project is viable, we will go forward. If not, we won-t.
