By Angela Marshall
Height and setbacks on both projects still had board members concerned.
Village native F. J. McCarthy wants to build a 24-unit golden age apartment building where two houses stand at 53 and 57 Clinton Avenue. The proposal calls for 16 two-bedroom and eight one-bedroom units at a cost of about $8 million.
McCarthy first presented his proposal to the board in May and looked into reducing the height of his project after members voiced concerns. Monday, he said he could bring the height down from 43 feet at the mid-roof line to 38 feet.
Trustees Mary Bossart and Greg Rinn were still not sure the building was low enough. Deputy Mayor Wayne Lipton, on the other hand, wasn't sure he liked the look of the building at the lower height and said he'd feel more comfortable with the taller, nicer-looking building.
McCarthy also addressed the board's request for more parking, allowing 1.7 spaces for each apartment, up from one on the original proposal.
All board members agreed golden age apartments for people over 55 was a great use for the location, which is near St. Agnes Cathedral.
Bossart said she was opposed to pushing any project through until the board completes its recodification project. She does not want to allow a building to be developed that does not fit with the overall plan for the village.
Lipton said that while he agreed it was time the board finished recodification, he didn't want to hold up McCarthy's development.
I don't think there should be any holding up at all, Bossart said. I think we should just go ahead and get it [recodification] done.
Apartments proposed on Banks Ave.
Attorney Michael Faltischek also of Rockville Centre did not make many noticeable changes to his proposal to build a four-story luxury apartment complex on Banks Avenue.
The apartments would be built on the former Darby Drugs site, which is currently zoned for industrial use. In order for the project to move ahead, the board would have to change the area back to a residential zone.
Faltischek did say he would be willing to get rid of the approximately 30 three-bedroom units called for in the original plans, still leaving over 450 one- and two-bedroom units.
But the board members want the number of units reduced even more and they want to see changes in the setbacks, some of which are proposed at 10 feet.
That's not acceptable and I'm disappointed that you came back with that, Trustee Jack Matthews said of the setbacks.
Trustees Bossart and Rinn would like to see the building height reduced. Rinn is also concerned with the impact the apartments would have on the school district and the village's infrastructure.
Faltischek said he believes the apartments will only bring eight to 10 students into the school district because they will be luxury units and only one and two bedrooms. He estimated the school would gain over $1.5 million in tax revenue from the apartments, which, he said, would more than cover the increase in students.
The school district is experiencing space problems and some school officials wonder if the enrollment increases from the apartments would force them to create additions on some of the school buildings. School officials believe the estimates for new students would be much higher than Faltischek's estimate.
Lipton also asked Faltischek to rethink the design of the two buildings, which are built around interior open spaces for a swimming pool, tennis courts and a courtyard. He said the building looks monolithic and that putting the courtyard and tennis courts outside the building might remedy that.
The board told Faltischek that they were not opposed to changing the zone to residential but that he would need to come back with a smaller project.
