By Nicole Falco
The property, at South Cottage Street and Hawthorne Avenue, is in a C-3 District, or an industrial/commercial-use zone, and therefore the development of residential housing is not permitted without a variance. Because the mayor and Board of Trustees believe that condominiums are " a far superior use of the property than the industrial uses permitted in a C-3 zone," and the investors indicated that they need a decision quickly, the board has proposed an amendment to the zoning code.
Introductory Local Law A-2005 calls for the creation of a CA District, or "floating zone," that would permit residential housing in C-2, C-3 and C-X districts (all industrial/commercial-use zones) on a case-by-case basis and at the discretion of the Board of Trustees, bypassing the Zoning Board of Appeals. A public hearing to discuss the proposed condominium complex and the amendment to the code is set for Aug. 29 in Village Hall. The board will also hear an informal presentation on the condominium project at its Aug. 15 work session.
"This particular development will eliminate the frequent use of tractor trailers, which has been a continuing source of controversy and complaints from neighboring residential owners whose houses border Inflight," Mayor Ed Cahill said, reading a statement on behalf of the trustees at the July 18 village board meeting. "The village has researched and explored a number of ways to facilitate private investment in new residential housing while at the same time eliminating old and less desirable commercial uses."
Without the "floating zone," the investors would have to seek a variance before the Zoning Board of Appeals. "This is a long and time-consuming process with little chance of success in this instance, because the property still has economic value as an industrial or commercial use," Cahill said. "Let me remind you that King Kullen [on Merrick Road] took more than seven years from its initial application before it got final approval."
The mayor also said the board considered two other approaches - entertaining a petition to change the zoning for the property in question or amending the code to allow multi-family dwellings in C-2, C-3 and C-X districts - but he said both have drawbacks. "The first two are ad hoc approaches to land use and are not consistent with a comprehensive plan," Cahill said. "The last is too inflexible, and could work against the interests of the village as a whole."
In deciding whether to allow a residential development in one of the village's industrial districts, the mayor said the board would consider a number of factors, all of which amount to, "Is the village better off with the project than what is there now?"
In addition, the investors have purchased two houses - one on Cottage Street and another on Valley Stream Boulevard -adjacent to the Inflight property. The board will also consider whether or not to adopt Local Law B-2005, which would authorize a change of use for those two properties from residential to C-3. The houses and Inflight property would then be treated as one property. Local Law B would only be approved if the project is approved.
The details of the project have not been finalized, according to Dominick Minerva, attorney for the investors, who are doing business as Valley Best, LLC. Minerva declined to identify the investors individually, but will file a disclosure notice with the village. The property, including the adjacent houses, measures 73,550 square feet, Minerva said. The units, most of them two-bedrooms, would sell for $300,000 to $400,000 or more depending on the market. There would be at least two underground parking spaces per unit. The dimensions of the units and the complex itself will be available once the architect's plans are complete, Minerva said.
"I think this is a very good concept from a planning vantage point," Minerva said. "You already have a property that has a use on it that's not a use conducive to the community. This [proposal] is convenient to the Valley Stream railroad station and to the main commercial hub on Rockaway Avenue. You need people to support those commercial businesses."
About Inflight
Inflight, once one of the world's largest distributors of periodicals, employed as many as 150 at the height of its success, but it began to slowly downsize until all but a handful remained as of last May.
Since last fall, the company has been the focus of a federal investigation into alleged improper newspaper and magazine circulation practices, according to previously published reports, and its business was hurt by the events of Sept. 11, 2001.
The company took off in 1951, when it began supplying newspapers to the airline industry. It added magazines in 1968. Formerly owned and operated by Danny Lehner, the business was taken over by his wife, Remy, after his death in 1997.
Comments about this story? NFalco@liherald.com or (516) 569-4000 ext. 208.
