By:Jerry Burke and Jonann Brady
Besides their concerns about quality-of-life issues such as traffic, parking and overcrowding, some Lakeview opponents feat that the co-ops could be occupied by families with young children, who they say will put a strain on local school districts. If approved by the Town of Hempstead and the county, the complex would be zoned as "Golden Age" housing, for seniors aged 55 or older.
But Steve Krieger, the principal of the Lynbrook-based developer Engel Burman Senior Housing and his publicist Gary Lewi of Rubinstein and Associates, maintain that there are many checks in place to ensure that people living in the complex are senior residents only.
"First you have the homeowners association in each complex, made up of the people who live there," Krieger told the Herald last week. "They watch for any irregularities."
Krieger also said that the Town of Hempstead Housing Authority regularly checks on the complexes and responds to any complaints of unauthorized tenets. "None of our other properties have ever had this problem," said Krieger. "The proof is in our record."
As for the concerns over possible traffic problems with the single access off of Orlando Avenue, Krieger maintains that extensive studies have been done which state that a senior residence would be far less disruptive then developing the land as commercial property.
"If you put a factory there, our studies show that the trucks, even while they are idling, would create more of a noise and traffic dilemma," said Lewi. Lewi also said that each of these studies have been available to the public at every hearing on the project and will continue to be.
Krieger said that while he understands that each project of this nature is bound to have some neighbors speaking out against it, he hopes that they will also see the benefits. "Our company has Long Island roots and we are aware of the sensitivities that arise," said Krieger. "But at the same time, we've worked hard to put a lot of issues to rest and to show the facts. Every complex we have built has increased the home values in the neighborhoods they are located."
Krieger said that he will extend an invitation to concerned residents, taking them on organized bus tours of the other facilities in order to demonstrate their value to the community. "We have already done a few tours and are more than happy for people to call my office and set up more." Kreiger said his office can be reached during the week at 516-887-9600 .
