By Dana Williams
The news comes just a month after hundreds of West Hempstead moms gathered on Hempstead Avenue for a Mother’s Day rally in protest of the controversial Courtesy, which has been the site of a host of criminal activities and home to several registered sex offenders. Since the start of the year, 5th Precinct police said, officers have responded to 84 calls, made 20 arrests and filed 39 case reports dealing with drug use, prostitution, assaults and domestic disputes at the Courtesy.
“Residents are just waiting and asking, ‘When will this all end?’” said Rosalie Norton, president of the West Hempstead Civic Association. “How much longer do we have to be subjected to this type of deplorable business operating in our community?”
Zwelsky’s announcement has also led residents to step up their criticism of the Hempstead town board’s decision to adopt the town’s Urban Renewal Plan, which may delay the hotel’s closure for several years and has received scant support from the West Hempstead community.
The URP is the town’s design for the 10.5-acre blighted area along Hempstead Avenue, which includes the redevelopment of the Courtesy property. The plan recommends, among other things, that a developer build no more than 45 units per acre on the 2.7-acre Courtesy site.
By adopting the URP in January, the town blocked the private sale of the Courtesy property to real estate firm Trammell Crow Residential, which proposed the construction of a $66 million, 176-unit — 65 units per acre — luxury apartment complex on the site. Town officials contend that the Trammell Crow complex is “too dense and 45 units is the highest density that should be allowed in the township.” The developer has been in contract to purchase the property from Zwelsky since March 2006.
In March, town officials sent out request for proposals to four developers to begin the process of turning the URP into a reality. The developers, chosen by a town committee, include Trammell Crow Residential, the Sheldrake Organization, Breslin Realty and the Benjamin Group. They submitted designs on May 5, and another committee is currently reviewing the proposals, town officials said.
In a letter released to the public, Zwelsky said that he has decided to “refocus” his attention on operating his “business to its fullest potential.” He has rented his building adjacent to the Courtesy to a new operator, and he is looking to reopen the nightclub inside the hotel. Should the club reopen, many civic leaders said, the crime, disturbances and other problems at the hotel will only increase.
“It’s difficult to imagine the Courtesy Hotel situation deteriorating any further, but the addition of a nightclub has the potential to sink the West Hempstead community to new depths,” said WHCA member Anthony Brita, who is also a trustee on the West Hempstead Board of Education. “Had the town sold the hotel to Trammell Crow last year, we wouldn’t be facing this depressing possibility.”
“Plans to reopen the nightclub at the Courtesy Hotel are disturbing,” added Rabbi Art Vernon, who leads the Jewish Community Center of West Hempstead. “Our goal must be to close the Courtesy and develop the property for rental apartments. Anything that might attract more business or attention to the Courtesy Hotel will only make the problems in the community worse.”
Residents also oppose the town’s URP because it is seen as time-consuming, and will require the town to acquire the Courtesy and other properties by eminent domain. At dozens of public hearings at Hempstead Town Hall last year, hundreds of community members lobbied for the sale of the Courtesy to Trammell Crow, with the majority saying that it is the best way to prevent drawn-out and costly legal battles with property owners arising from eminent domain proceedings. In his letter, Zwelsky also confirmed that he plans to fight the town in court for attempting to take his property through eminent domain.
“It is frustrating to see exactly what many of us predicted when the town chose to go with the eminent domain path,” said resident Nicola Vitale. “If the town had allowed the private sale, then the Courtesy would be closed already. Instead, the process has not even begun.”
Many civic leaders and community members are now pushing for town officials to negotiate a density agreement with Trammell Crow, because, they said, a difference of 20 units per acre should not be a reason to deny residents of what they would like to see built in their community.
“The Courtesy’s owner wants to sell his property, he has a reputable buyer and the residents here want him gone,” Norton said. “We’re all waiting for the town to stop dragging its heels and discuss density with Trammell Crow so this sale can go through, because we want to rid our community of this Courtesy nightmare.”
Comments about this story?DWilliams@liherald.com or (516) 569-4000 ext. 205.
