By Jeff Lipton
The planned subdivision at 361 Sutton Place, at Dickens Street, would block out sunlight, reduce property values and cause flooding, said Rapoport, who added that installing piles would crack the foundations and walls of surrounding homes.
Rapoport and some of her neighbors appeared at a hearing of the Nassau County Planning Commission on Nov. 7, where they argued against the subdivision plans. The planning commission, which rules on all subdivision proposals, considered the pros and cons of the project at the hearing.
We've gathered 30 signatures of homeowners within the immediate vicinity who are vehemently opposed to the subdivision, Rapoport, a 24-year resident, told the commission. People remarked, ÔOutrageous Ñ they're trying to turn this into Far Rockaway, with row homes. How can Nassau County permit this?'
Bottom line, we are all vehemently opposed to this subdivision because it will irrevocably alter, for the worse, the character of our neighborhood.
But Robert M. Blakeman, an attorney for the homeowner, Robert Abraham, said subdividing the property would be in the neighbors' best interests, since the property would gain two additional side yards. Blakeman said the corner property measures 12,282 square feet, and the trend in the Five Towns is to build large homes with no recreational amenities such as tennis courts or swimming pools. The subdivided parcels, he said, would measure 6,282 and 6,000 square feet. The homes would have about 3,100 square feet and 3,600 square feet of living space.
In Woodmere, some of the ever-larger homes being built have 4,000 to 5,000 square feet of living space, said Jonathan Winter, a real estate broker for Jan Kalman Realty, who was called by Blakeman to address the commission as the broker in the proposed transaction.
Looking at it, [a new home built on] 12,282 square feet could lead to a very undesirable situation for existing residents, Blakeman told the commission. Two smaller homes is more desirable because you are gaining two additional side yards...One large piece of construction could be detrimental to the area.
These homes would have the same living space as the homes there now, Blakeman said. They would not be any larger.
The current home at 361 Sutton Place is a small ranch, and subdivision will extend the height of the building to 29.5 feet in an area where 30 feet is the maximum allowable height. They are trying to push the limit, and building to the absolute maximum, Rapoport said. They can build one home. At least it won't be two big monstrosities.
Our neighborhood has its own unique personality, one we don't want to destroy, said Rapoport, who lives on Island Avenue directly behind 361 Sutton Place. Our unpretentious homes are built in proportion with their plots...The proposed homes will be of almost maximum height and will be the largest permitted by the Town of Hempstead. We don't want two of these built on minimum lots. I've seen several homes this builder has built. They are oversized and do not visually fit into their surroundings.
Rapoport said she never knew that the house at 361 Sutton Place, which she described as beautifully maintained, was for sale. She surmised that its sale was kept secret so neighbors would not have time to stop the subdivision. She said neighbors received last-minute notices about the hearing.
Neighbors said the property is being proposed for subdivision so the contractor can maximize his profits by building two new homes in place of one. If the planning commission approves the subdivision, the property would be sold to the contractor for $535,000, said Winter. The new homes could sell for about $750,000 apiece. Winter said subdividing the property would not have any deleterious effect on the real estate market and would have no negative impact on the neighborhood.
Merik Aaron, an attorney representing his parents-in-law, who live on Dickens Street, said he is concerned about the environmental impact of subdividing the property. Neighbors said that construction and grading changes would raise the already high water table and cause flooding. Aaron said his in-laws recently had to pay $1,800 to fix water problems. They have lived there 50 years and they never had any flood problems before, Aaron said.
One neighbor told the planning commission that she had no objections to the subdivision, describing the Abrahams as lovely people and good neighbors. I have no objections to their intentions.
But Carl Charschan, another neighbor, said, I object to building two houses 30 feet high, which would change the character of what we have in the area. And I feel that the real estate values will probably go down.
Jeff Greenfield, a member of the planning commission, said he visited the area with Nassau County Legis. Jeff Toback (D-Oceanside) on Nov. 4 to get a better feel for the proposed subdivision. The hearing was adjourned for two weeks, until Nov. 21, when the commission may make a decision on the proposed subdivision.
