By Jonann Brady
Roy Tuccillo, owner of My Four Realty Corp., is seeking a zoning variance from the Town of Hempstead to change the site, formerly a Master Wok Chinese restaurant, from a commercial designation to a residential designation. Tuccillo wants to build four three-bedroom and four two-bedroom apartments, with rents ranging from $2,200 to $2,800 a month. Tuccillo and his attorney, Bill Bonesso, met with a handful of Baldwin residents two weeks ago, and several people raised concerns about the site's becoming a residential property.
At a meeting last Tuesday, the town board heard comments from the developer and residents considering the zoning change, but did not come to a decision about it. Councilman Anthony Santino said residents still have time to submit written comments to the board about the plan. "The board is still welcoming comments," said Santino. It is not clear when the town will make its final decision regarding the zoning change, but Santino said a decision is "not imminent."
While some nearby residents have said they welcome a tenant in the property, which has been vacant for a number of years, and would prefer apartments to a fast-food restaurant, others say that the site is better suited to commercial use. "I don't think [apartments are] the best use," said B.A. Schoen, who attended the town meeting. "A commercial property would revitalize the area."
Community groups like the Chamber of Commerce have been working to fill vacant commercial property, and have recently enlisted the help of an outside consultant, Franchise Help, to try and attract businesses to the community, but have run into problems with unreceptive landlords, say several chamber members.
Rolf Mahler, of Mahler Real Estate, said of the property, "This site has not been vacant because no one was interested." Instead, he said, the former owner, Ben's Kosher Deli, priced the property too high.
However, Ronnie Dragoon, owner of Ben's Kosher Deli, said that is not the case. Dragoon said he sold the property to Tuccillo in 2002 for $330,000, only after deals with two other companies fell through.
Dragoon, who leased the property to Master Wok, said he was originally asking $795,000 for the property and had interest from 7-Eleven. When that deal fell through after about a year, he negotiated with Walgreen's to buy the property, but again, no deal was finalized.
"I didn't want the property anymore, so I decided to sell to whoever comes up with the most money in the shortest amount of time," said Dragoon.
In response to concerns that the property will be taken off the commercial property rolls, Tuccillo's attorney, Bill Bonesso, said that a residential property will bring more consumers to the area and, more important, fill a long-vacant area. "It's been out there and available for five, six, seven years, and no one has saw fit to develop it commercially," he said.
Several members of the community have also said they have not been given adequate notice about the plan and want to know more details about the aesthetics of the apartment plans. Deborah Maniaci, vice president of the Baldwin Community Association, said that her group plans to contact Tuccillo to see blueprints for the site to check the design, facade and landscaping of the property before it is built. "We want to make sure it fits in with the look and feel of Baldwin," she said.
