By Doug Miller
In a statement issued after the vote, the board of trustees said, "citing historic problems with parking, the Library Board was unanimous in its opposition and authorized funds for attorneys and 'other necessary agents' to combat the application."
Developer David Shokrian has agreed to buy the lot, located at 121 W. Park Ave., from the Long Beach Exempt Firemen's Benevolent Association, a group that provides services to the city's firemen and their families. In order to begin construction, he needs a variance for the lack of off-street parking from the city's Zoning Board of Appeals, which may be granted as soon as the body's Aug. 26 meeting. The vote would authorize an appeal once the variance is granted.
At a public hearing before the zoning board July 28, nobody spoke against the application, and several people spoke in favor of it, including Library Trustee Warren Vegh. Vegh, who is seeking the Democratic Party's nomination to challenge Denise Ford - the widow of a fireman - for her seat on the Nassau County Legislature, originally drafted a letter attacking the proposal as "overdevelopment in our community which must be stopped," sending copies to, among other places, the Nassau County Planning Commission and this newspaper. However, he told the Zoning Board that when he learned the property was owned by the firemen's fund had withdrawn his letter so as not to stand in the way of them cashing out.
But with the Aug. 10 vote, Vegh, who will face attorney Robert Solomon in a primary election Sept. 13, has reverted back to his original position. In another twist, Solomon happens to own 24 E. Park Ave., the current headquarters of Shokrian's Development Company, Sun America.
Asked about this second change of heart, Vegh said he wants the firemen to be properly renumerated, but that he believes the library is best served by keeping its options open. "My stance is I'm against overdevelopment," he said.
"I also feel there might be some connection here between Shokrian and the Solomon campaign," he volunteered. When asked what he thought that link might be, he said. "I don't know. If I knew... That I don't know. But that's my answer to that question at the moment."
Michael Kerr, the vice president of the Exempt Firemen's Association and the city's fire commissioner, would not comment on the sale price, only calling it "reasonable," and added that Shokrian offered to make repairs to the Exempt Firemen's Association headquarters next door, a building which includes a bodega as a tenant, as part of the deal. Kerr also said that the Library had offered to buy the space 10 years ago, but the two parties failed to agree on a price.
"We sold the property [to Shokrian] in good faith," Kerr said. "We figured we'd take a blight off the block also, as the empty lot is really a liability. I don't want any children to get injured there. So he's going to build a nice building there, and I don't see anything wrong with the sale."
Comments about this story? DMiller@liherald.com or (516) 569-4000 ext. 213.
