By Dana Williams
This also moves the town one step closer to closing the controversial Courtesy Hotel on Hempstead Avenue, Ambrosino said.
The four developers who were chosen by a town committee are Trammell Crow Residential, the Sheldrake Organization, Breslin Realty and the Benjamin Group. "The developers have about 30 days to respond back to tell Supervisor Kate Murray how they plan to take down the Courtesy Hotel," Ambrosino explained to more than 150 people who gathered in the school's cafeteria. "The paperwork was sent out this morning ... so it's a start."
The URP is the town's vision for the redevelopment of 10.5 acres of land on Hempstead Avenue, which includes the 2.7-acre Courtesy site. The area was determined to be blighted by an independent study adopted by town officials in May 2006. In January, the town board voted 6-0 to adopt the URP, but it has gained little, if any, support from residents.
By adopting the plan, the town board blocked the sale of the Courtesy to Trammell Crow Residential, which has been in contract to purchase the Courtesy property from its owner, Bruce Zwelsky, since March 2006. West Hempstead residents and community organizations endorsed Trammell Crow's plan to build a $66 million, 176-unit luxury apartment complex on the Courtesy site. Civic leaders also lobbied for the complex in Town Hall several times last year, contending that it is what West Hempstead needs to begin its revitalization.
Ambrosino, who represents West Hempstead, abstained from voting on the URP on Jan. 22, because he is legal counsel to Ruskin Moscou Faltischeck P.C., which represents Trammell Crow Residential. Ambrosino told residents at the forum, however, that he was in favor of the developer's complex. "I thought the Trammell Crow proposal should have went forward," Ambrosino said, a remark that was met with applause. "I'm very disappointed in my fellow town board members."
Town officials have said that the URP's goals include eliminating the blighted parcels of land by creating new, market-rate housing, and developing underutilized land on Hempstead Avenue. The plan recommends, among other things, a mix of residential homes and businesses on both sides of the street. It also calls for additional commuter parking near the West Hempstead Long Island Rail Road station.
Residents have repeatedly criticized the plan's design, with many saying that it is not what they would like to see built in their community. Civic leaders have also panned the URP because, they say, town officials created it with little input from residents. This sentiment has resurfaced in the wake of the town's latest move, with some residents at the forum saying that they should have been properly notified that the RFPs had been sent out.
"I was very surprised that the Town of Hempstead sent the RFPs out without first sitting down with community leaders to discuss the parameters of the RFP," resident Walter Ejnes said. "Sending out the RFP without meeting with the community to discuss our concerns, once again, shows that our elected officials in Town Hall are not looking out for the interests of the West Hempstead community."
Residents were notified earlier this month that in January, 5th Precinct police responded to 17 calls at the Courtesy reporting a range of crimes involving drugs, prostitution and robbery. From August to December 2007, police said, they also responded to 118 calls about drug use, assaults and domestic disputes at the hotel.
"We're just waiting for the latest statistics to come from this terrible place," said Rosalie Norton, president of the West Hempstead Civic Association, adding that she expected the town to send a courtesy letter to notify residents that the RFPs were sent out. "The way to stop the Courtesy and its problems is for the town to sit down with Trammell Crow and negotiate specifics, so that the private sale can go through," Norton said.
Attorneys for Zwelsky, along with other property owners in the URP area, have said at previous town meetings that they would fight the town in court if it attempts to take their property through eminent domain. And with some residents having waited more than a decade for the Courtesy to be closed, the delays associated with the URP have moved them to continue speaking out against it.
Since the URP favors condemnation, many residents say they have lost faith that the infamous hotel will be closed anytime soon. "[Closing] the ever-loving Courtesy Hotel is a lost cause," resident Jack Taylor said.
Comments about this story? DWilliams@liherald.com or (516) 569-4000 ext. 282.
