By Nicole Falco
"I think it's going to be great for the community," said Town Councilman James Darcy. "I've already had numerous people contacting me with a great deal of interest, asking how they can get in there."
The builder, Broadval LLC of Islandia, had submitted an application to the town requesting that the 14-acre property be rezoned. The Town Board hosted a public hearing at Town Hall on Aug. 9, which was attended by dozens of local residents, mostly senior citizens, the majority of whom expressed support for the proposal with a show of hands.
First preference for the condos will given to residents of Valley Stream School District 13 and their parents, followed by town and county residents, according to Broadval's attorney, Jack Libert, of Weber Law Group LLP in Melville. Units will sell for approximately $240,000. The complex will generate approximately $1.8 million in tax revenue (Wayside was tax-exempt), and it will not be eligible for federal or state subsidies.
"I think it's going to be a wonderful addition to the community," Libert said.
Wayside, which offered counseling and rehabilitative services to troubled girls, closed in December 2003, after nearly 70 years of operation, citing economic difficulties.
According to Libert and project engineer Kevin Walsh of Barrett, Bonacci & Van Weele P.C. in Hauppauge, the complex will feature eight two-story buildings, an 8,000-square-foot community building and recreation areas. Each unit will measure 941 square feet and have two bedrooms, two baths, a kitchen, a living room, a dining room and a rear patio. First-floor units will be handicapped-accessible, and second-floor units will have amenities for the disabled such as shower guard rails. Four parking spaces will be provided for every three units.
The main entrance will be on Dutch Broadway, opposite Lawrence Street. Residents will be required to use an access card to gain entry to the complex between 9 p.m. and 7 a.m. Two additional accessways will be used only in emergencies, and will otherwise remain locked. A 6-foot cedar stockade fence will surround the property, and evergreens will be planted along the property line.
The next step will be for Broadval to submit a final site-review plan subject to town approval. It will also submit a permit application to the building department. Libert said construction should begin by spring or summer 2006.
And concerns raised by the board as well as residents have been addressed by Broadval. The builder has agreed to include as many curb cuts as the town requests for the disabled, the stairwells leading to the second floor of each building planned for the complex will be widened to allow for unrestrained access by emergency personnel, and the elevator in the community center will be enlarged.
Some Dana Avenue residents had expressed concerns that second-floor balconies would overlook their backyards, but according to a line-of-sight plan submitted by the applicant, the setback of the balconies from the property line and the evergreens that will be planted along the property line will sufficiently diminish any nuisance the balconies might create.
"We tried to accommodate the recommendations as best we could," Libert said.
Darcy said, "Even in the period of time we left the hearing open, the bulk of the comments that came into the Town Board were positively in favor of the project."
Comments about this story? NFalco@liherald.com or (516) 569-4000 ext. 208.
