By Brian Zanzonico
More than 150 residents packed the VFW Hall on Lincoln Road May 30 to see a presentation by attorney William Cohn on the Gateway World Christian Center leadership's plan to convert a former office building at 820 Hempstead Turnpike into a church. With members of the church's board in the audience, the hour-long, at times contentious meeting centered on rumors that the vision for the beige, two-story, 3,550-square-foot building includes its doubling as a drug clinic. Anil Mathew, a board member serving as church spokesman, quickly dismissed the claims.
"Definitely no," Mathew said of a methadone clinic. "It can be put in writing."
But another church board member, Cloid Smith, added that drug counseling is not out of the question. "This is part of what a church does, yes," he said.
The Gateway World Christian Center's lease of 453 Elmont Road in Elmont is set to expire and the church's spiritual leader, the Rev. Sunny Philip, is in contract with Stephan Schector, the owner of 820 Hempstead Turnpike, to purchase the property for $1.5 million pending the Town of Hempstead Board of Zoning Appeals' approval of an application calling for the former professional building's conversion into a church.
According to the site plan, the basement of the church would have a baptismal font, two bathrooms, an elevator and room for storage. The main floor would be the church sanctuary, with seating for 185. An old version of the plan called for four offices on the second floor, but the revised version, which will be presented to the zoning board on June 20, provides for one office, three classrooms and storage space.
Youth groups of about 50 people would meet from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. on Fridays to watch Christian films and play games, Mathew said. Saturdays and Sundays would be for religious instruction classes and worship from morning until early evening. Cohn said that the church has already stated that it would not host bazaars, bingo, rentals, funerals, baptisms before Sunday services, or Girl or Boy Scouts.
Those challenging the plan, who are led by civic activist Pat Friedman, claim the church can't provide parking for its congregants, who, Mathew said, now number 70 - two of whom live in Franklin Square, while the rest are from Elmont, Floral Park and New Hyde Park. According to the church Web site, the hope is that the membership will grow to 500.
Abutting the rear of the building is a Town of Hempstead parking lot, where parishioners would park. The lot is often used by patrons of the Franklin Square Library, which is across the street on Lincoln Road, and the VFW Hall down the block, as well as shoppers. If a library event, VFW function and a church service were to take place at the same time, neighboring streets might be clogged with cars, Friedman said. For the past month, Town of Hempstead trucks have been parked at the lot as construction has been done on neighboring roads, residents said.
"We want it withdrawn," Friedman said of the church's application. "We don't even want it to go forward."
The municipal lot has 128 parking spaces, according to Cohn. As part of the application, the church is required to provide one space for every three seats in the church sanctuary or one space per 200 square feet of building area. Cohn, who said the church has no intention of withdrawing the application, said the church would have less of an impact on parking than another business would.
"The occupancy of a building like that during normal hours is 100 people," Cohn said, noting that only two people would be in the church on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays.
Residents also argued that tax revenues would be reduced by about $62,000 if the board approves the application because churches don't pay taxes. Cohn said that argument is futile. "Arguing that it doesn't fit, it's too big or the property will be taken off the tax roll don't apply to houses of worship," he said. "The courts have held again and again and again that the right to worship is constitutionally protected."
Friedman, however, said that the Village of Valley Stream last year rejected a Gateway World Christian Center application similar to the one submitted to the Town of Hempstead, and suggested using the money to build a new church on an empty lot with room for parking.
"Why move to a town you're not welcome in?" asked John Randazzo, who owns Sandy's Party Supply Center across the street from the proposed church.
"They have the right to be in Franklin Square," Cohn said.
Outside the VFW Hall after the meeting, Mathew and other church board members said they were unaware that the opposition was so fervent. "I was surprised," Mathew said. "I didn't know there was this much hostility."
As for the talk of a methadone clinic, he said he hopes residents' fears have been allayed. "We don't know where the rumors started." he said. "We don't even know what methadone is."
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