By: Nick Buglione
The original analysis found enough affordable private housing on Long Island to sustain the military families stationed locally. The U.S. Department of Defense later revealed its intention to sell Mitchel Manor and Mitchel Field by October 2004, along with the rider that the roughly 1,200 servicemen and women and their family members who live there can remain until October 2006.
The availability of affordable housing on Long Island is a point that has been hotly contested by residents of the military housing complexes, elected officials and East Meadow civic activists. Those opposed to the sale hope that the Navy-s decision to take another look at the housing analysis signifies that it-s rethinking its plan.
I am usually an optimist, said Edward Aulman, director of the Nassau County Veterans Service Agency and one of the sale-s staunchest opponents. I think they want to measure the extent of the opposition and find a compromise.
The Navy began its re-evaluation on Nov. 17, 2003, according to Navy spokesman Lt. Commander Joe Carpenter. The Mitchel study is not starting from scratch, he said. [The Navy] will verify data from the original study and re-evaluate determination of adequacy. They will also consider other unique factors, such as the very high move-in cost that is typical on Long Island.
During the initial analysis, officials looked at homes for rent within a one-hour commute of area installations, such as the Marine base in Garden City and Fort Totten in Queens, to determine the availability of adequate, affordable housing, Carpenter said.
There is no specific timeline for when the Navy will finish the re-evaluation, although when it is completed, the results will first be revealed to commanding officers of the local posts, and then to residents and elected officials.
Naval officials would not comment on any preliminary findings, although Aulman said he has heard inaccuracies have already been found. I learned that a Navy team was here on or about Dec. 3, he said. I understand that they were unsuccessful finding more than only one affordable housing unit in the area.
Still, the Navy is moving forward with its plan to sell Mitchel Manor and Mitchel Field, which is part of a region-wide Department of Defense initiative. The federal government is looking to turn over all Navy-operated housing in the northeast region to a private developer.
The developer would be charged with refurbishing some of the military houses that the Department of Defense intends to keep and selling off those deemed no longer necessary, such as the 48-acre Mitchel Field and 49-acre Mitchel Manor. The Navy is in the process of selecting the one successful company to execute the project, Carpenter said. We expect a decision to be made in late February, early March 2004.
If the Mitchel housing complexes are sold, servicemen and women will receive monthly housing allowances in addition to their salaries so they can pay for their own homes. Housing allowances vary depending on rank and whether a serviceman or woman is married, and are adjusted to account for the cost of living in a particular area. Many of the residents have said the allowances aren-t enough to sustain a family on Long Island.
How Mitchel Manor and Mitchel Field would be used after the sale would be up to the future owner and zoning restrictions. Those areas are now zoned for single-family homes, according to the Town of Hempstead.
If the housing complexes are sold, the property would be put back on the tax rolls. Residents of East Meadow, where Mitchel Manor is located, have long complained about being overburdened with taxes because of the large amount of untaxed land in the neighborhood, including Eisenhower Park and the Nassau County jail.
East Meadow Civic Association President Robert Zafonte, however, still hopes that Mitchel Manor and Mitchel Field won-t be sold. It-s encouraging, said Zafonte, who-s formed a task force to stop the sale. Anytime the Navy relooks at its own initial position, to me, they-re looking at it for compromise or change.
Once the Navy realizes that displaced families cannot find appropriate housing, they will probably have to rethink the situation, and hopefully they will change their mind.
Meanwhile, the Long Island congressional delegation, including U.S. Senators Charles Schumer and Hillary Clinton, continues to goad Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and the Navy into reconsidering the sale.
A spokesperson for U.S. Rep. Carolyn McCarthy said the elected officials will likely meet with the Navy on the matter in February.
