By Andrew Coen
Dr. John Fitzsimons, superintendent of Lawrence schools, revealed during a District 15 Key Communicators' meeting, attended by about 25 residents on March 15, that the school board plans to hire a commercial brokerage firm to assist in the application process.
According to school board president Kathy Raquet, the appraisal firm of Goodman-Marks Associates Inc. is expected to complete its request for proposal (RFP) process on the 3.79-acre property within the next two weeks and will then begin to look at which commercial brokerage firms to hire to help market the property to interested buyers. "[Commercial brokerage firms] know how to do it best," said Raquet in a phone interview.
The school board voted to close the Number One School last June and move the students into the Number Six School in Woodmere as part of a consolidation plan to save the district money.
The board has the option of either selling or leasing the property, but Fitzsimons pointed out that since the property is worth a lot, he expects the board to sell the land to a commercial business to generate the most tax revenue. "It's a very valuable piece of real estate, more than we first thought," said Fitzsimons during the meeting. "My sense from the board is that they don't want a non-profit."
Acting on advice from its attorneys, the school board has yet to reveal the worth of the property.
Although the list of interested parties has not been officially revealed, Touro College has expressed interest as well as condominium developers and a yeshiva, according to district officials. Part of the reason that leasing might not be the best option is that the building is in need of $3 million in capital improvements, according to Fitzsimons.
Fitzsimons also revealed during the meeting that he does not think the board is receptive to the idea of giving the adjacent Peninsula Public Library 100 feet to expand, which library officials have requested, since permitting the library to expand would reduce the selling price. "It could be an option, but I think it is being moved off the table," said Fitzsimons.
"Unfortunately, it doesn't seem like it would be in the best interest, at this point," to expand the library onto the Number One School property, Raquet said about the importance of getting as much money as possible for the property. "We have to look at what is best for the entire community."
During the key communicators' meeting, Joan Lepelstat, the library's assistant director who is retiring to run for the library's board of trustees, said an expanded library would be positive for the community. "Anybody that has been there knows we have to expand," said Lepelstat.
Inwood Community Group founder Gregory Nunn said during the meeting that the expansion of the library should be considered since the cost of a new or expanded library in the years to come will climb.
A resolution on the March 8 agenda of the Lawrence school board would have granted the library an easement to construct a 12-foot wide driveway, but some of the trustees wanted to study the matter further with their attorneys before giving it their stamp of approval. Library officials have expressed concern about the easement since the driveway would not cover the length of the property and would take away two parking spaces. The school board is expected to vote on the matter at the March 22 meeting, after press time.
Concern over future village water usage
The possibility of future apartments or condominiums being constructed at the Number One School site has Lawrence Village trustee Joel Mael concerned about future water usage in the village. During a Lawrence Village Board meeting on March 17, Mael said he wants the village board to consider a moratorium on projects that would require high water usage.
According to Mael, the village's capacity for water usage is 1.5 million gallons a day. He said that there were many days last year when 1.4 million gallons were used. He said the construction of more apartments could cause the water pollution control plant to exceed capacity. Mael did not feel that holding the construction companies responsible for paying to increase water capacity would be enough to solve the problem. "It's not a Band-Aid fix," said Mael. "At some point it's going to catch up with you."
The Lawrence Board of Zoning Appeals recently approved the construction of a 24-unit apartment building at the old medical building site next to the former Nassau Herald offices on Central Avenue, and Mael said he has heard about the possibility of 100 apartments being constructed at the Number One School site. "I think we are dangerously close to the limit," said Mael. "We have to figure out a solution soon before it gets out of hand."
Mael estimates that the planned 24-unit building would require another 25,000 gallons of water a day and that if 100 apartments were to be built at the Number One School property, it would require between 35,000 and 45,000 gallons a day.
Lawrence building inspector Dan Herron plans to study the water gallon capacity and Cameron Engineering is conducting an inquiry into the issue to see if a moratorium on projects requiring high water usage is necessary. The neighboring Village of Cedarhurst already has such a moratorium in place.
Comments about this story? Acoen@liherald.com or (516) 569-4000 ext. 210.
