By ANTHONY BOTTAN
The senior housing complex -- Dutch Gate -- is nearing completion and its developers, Broadval LLC, submitted an application to lower the minimum age from 62 to 55. Developers said that lowering the minimum age would broaden the pool of eligible applicants -- by about 90,000 -- in a faltering housing market. Residents, as well as local officials, voiced concerns that lowering the age might attract more people with kids to the complex, increase traffic in the area and possibly overcrowd local schools.
Nassau County Legislator John Ciotti, a North Valley Stream resident himself, said he was relieved to hear that the town board rejected the application to lower the age limit. "This is a victory for our community," Ciotti said. "Many thanks to the town board for listening to the concerns of residents regarding parking, traffic and school."
Assemblyman Tom Alfano (R-North Valley Stream) agreed with Ciotti. "They knew that this change would change our quality of life in the Dutch Broadway corridor," Alfano said. "When this proposal was introduced, people were told one thing and then all of a sudden it changed after some of the homes were built. That was patently unfair and we weren't going to stand for it."
Scott Cushing, a spokesman for Alfano, said the assemblyman's office received more than 50 phone calls and two dozen letters from concerned residents angered by the proposed age limit reduction.
Town Councilman Jim Darcy said his office had received about 360 inquiries about the Dutch Gate project and said an incredible amount of seniors expressed interest in the complex. He added that the board felt it was not in the best interest of seniors to lower the age limit and had reservations about lowering the age minimum because of its possible impact on local schools. "One concern was that they were coming in looking to lower the age based on an analysis that the units would be hard to sell," Darcy said. "We were perplexed on how they came to this conclusion when they haven't marketed their units."
Helen Ras, who has lived across the street from where Dutch Gate is being built for the last 40 years, said she was relieved that the minimum age was not lowered from 62 to 55. She said her biggest concern was two-fold -- school taxes and increased traffic. Ras said she was afraid that if more people moved into the complex and had children attending local schools, it could impact her school taxes. And if they had children, she said, potential buyers are most likely working, and that would increase traffic on an already highly-traveled road. "My concern was the traffic and I'm really relieved that they didn't lower the age," Ras said.
Patricia Gonzales, 55, of Elmont, however, said she was upset to hear that Broadval's application to lower the age limit was denied. Gonzales is a single mom with two kids, two grandkids, and has a severe back problem that limits how much she can do on her own. She said she would love to live in a facility where the snow shoveling and landscaping is taken care of.
With her ailing back, Gonzales added its only a matter of time before she will need to move into a senior facility. She said doesn't understand whey people were opposed to lowering the age. "Their arguments are ridiculous," she said. "Why are they discriminating against some people? Not everyone that's 55 is like a 30-year-old."
Broadval LLC could not be reached for comment, but Darcy said the developers could appeal the board's decision.
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