By Andrew Coen
when he not only got zoning board approval for his planned 144-unit condominium complex on the former Number One School property, but also received a signal from the Lawrence Village Board of Trustees that the moratorium on large-scale construction could be lifted soon.
There were simultaneous meetings concerning Neuberg's project that night, with the Lawrence Board of Zoning Appeals approving the necessary variances for the luxury condominiums during its session at Lawrence Village Country Club. Meanwhile, about a half-mile down the road, at Lawrence Village Hall, the Board of Trustees voted to end a moratorium on construction projects requiring high water usage. This is contingent on the municipality¹s getting adequate funds from the state to upgrade its water pollution control plant, which was over capacity on certain days in 2005, prompting the local law to be put in place that September.
"I think this is a project that the village needs, and it will be built in the same flavor of the community," said Neuberg moments after receiving BZA approval.
The approval comes exactly five months after District 15 residents voted in favor of his $27.5 million plan for condos on the site of the former elementary school, which was closed by the Lawrence school board in June 2004 as part of a consolidation plan to save the district money. Giving Neuberg the green light to construct a 144-unit complex -- when village law allows only 108 units -- also means the Lawrence Public Schools would get a $2 million premium, according to the terms of Neuberg's contract, and the district would receive $1.2 million in taxes annually.
The final hurdle before the former elementary school would be demolished and ground broken for the condos is the permanent removal of the moratorium. If Lawrence does not get adequate funding from the state for Cameron Engineering's $6.7 million plan to upgrade the water pollution control plant, the moratorium will remain in place and Neuberg will have to go before the village Board of Trustees to get variances to bypass the local law. Last October, the trustees stripped the BZA of its authority to grant variances on the moratorium.
Lawrence Mayor Dr. Jack Levenbrown said he expects to find out if the state will offer adequate funding for the project in the next few weeks. The state previously committed $1 million to it, but village officials are hoping for more state funds so they do not have to burden Lawrence residents to fund the project, according to Levenbrown.
The variances Neuberg was granted included permission to build a four-story structure, which exceeds the village's limit of three stories, and allowances for lot area and lot area per dwelling. The former Number One School building is four stories tall, but since it was built in the early 1900s, it was grandfathered into village law.
The proposed complex will include 144 condominium units and 213 parking spaces -- 180 underground spots and 33 for visitors in front of the building -- which is more than the village requires. Also in the plans are a circular driveway with valet parking available, a tree-lined entrance, courtyards, a community room, a gym and an indoor pool. The clock from the Number One School was also included in designs by Neuberg's architect, John Capobianco, to be installed in front of the complex to keep alive the tradition of the former longtime District 15 elementary school.
"Unless you go to Garden City or Great Neck, you're not going to find anything like this building," said real estate expert Barry Nelson during the BZA hearing. "The character of the neighborhood lends itself to this type of development."
The proposal also includes granting the neighboring Peninsula Public Library an easement for a 12-foot-wide driveway on the eastern edge of the Number One School property, which would allow library patrons a separate ingress and egress after years of having to negotiate a single lane to both enter and exit the facility. Capobianco said that if the library follows through with plans to build a new a facility in Zion Park in Lawrence, Neuberg has ideas for developing the library property as well.
Lawrence resident Arnold Rosenbaum spoke in favor of the project, saying that luxury condos would provide families who cannot afford house an option for living in the community. "There is a need for something like this at this level," said Rosenbaum. "This is something we've needed for years."
Daniel Friedman, who lives in a co-op apartment across the street from the proposed condos, expressed concern that there would not be enough parking for visitors at the complex and that it would impact other residents of the neighborhood. "We who live in the co-ops are dependent on on-street parking," said Friedman. "Are we going to have a parking crisis?"
Neuberg said that demand for his project is already high, and that 60 people had approached him, saying they are ready to submit deposits to make sure they are able to secure one of the condos. Capobianco estimates that the project would take between two and three years to complete once ground was broken.
"We feel it's going to be a very attractive and aesthetic improvement to the property," said Neuberg's attorney, William Bonesso. "I think what you have here is a win-win-win-win situation."
Comments about this story? ACoen@liherald.com or (516) 569-4000 ext. 210.
