By Jonathan Cronin
"I got a call from the attorney representing the property owner [Kabro Associates]. I met with them. They understand the community is against this. They also understand they can build this tomorrow [as of right] if they wanted to."Legislator Jeff Toback
North Woodmere Civic continues fight against plans
The proposed construction of an assisted living facility in North Woodmere has been pushed back at least until spring 2001, after the Town of Hempstead asked developers to address residents' concerns.
During an emotionally-charged meeting of the North Woodmere Civic Association on Thursday, August 24, residents expressed outrage, stating that the association did a poor job of informing the community about the proposed facility. The meeting drew about 150 residents to the North Woodmere Park Administration Building, where many said they were kept in the dark about the plans to build a facility at the near-vacant Hungry Harbor Shopping Center. Civic co-presidents Gary Carlton and Michael Fleischer, and President Emeritus Bunny Mestel spent much of the meeting trying to keep order.
For the past two months, the civic association has been trying to rally the community against the proposed assisted living facility. Ms. Mestel said the group has a database of community members, and during the meeting asked those who did not receive notices about the proposed facility to give their addresses. By the end of the meeting, she said, the group had received only one address.
Attempting to speak above the unhappy voices at the park's administration building, Mr. Fleischer said, "Our efforts have garnered results already." He added that the group has been successful in pushing back the construction of the facility for almost a year after convincing the Town of Hempstead to ask Kabro Associates to address community concerns before breaking ground.
Some residents complained that they had not heard of the proposed facility until recently when Nassau County Legislator Jeff Toback (D-Oceanside) sent out a letter on July 28, informing the community of his opposition. Mr. Toback said his mailing database consists of registered voters in the community.
Legislator Toback said, "I got a call from the attorney representing the property owner [Kabro Associates]. I met with them. They understand the community is against this. They also understand they can build this tomorrow [as of right] if they wanted to." Mr. Toback also mentioned that the lawyer who contacted him was a friend of his.
Legislator Toback added that Kabro Associates have agreed to scale back the project 20 percent, "to make it as unobtrusive as possible." Kabro has dropped a fourth floor from the plans and scaled back the number of beds from 150 to 130.
"They don't think the water table is an issue," he said, and with further investigation, he added, they believe it will become a non-issue. He suggested to Kabro that if the facilities' residents plan to use the park, Kabro should donate to the North Woodmere Park Foundation, a fundraising arm of the civic group which supplements park security and maintenance.
He said that he took this "as a positive step that they wanted to talk." Because of community opposition, Kabro is planning to break ground in spring of 2001, the legislator said. They were originally expected to begin construction this summer.
Mr. Toback was told that one section of the facility would be dedicated to Alzheimer's victims and patients with some form of dementia. Considering this section, Mr. Toback was skeptical of the facility being run by only 15 employees.
Dr. Eric Feintuch, a resident, told Mr. Toback, "I don't like what I'm hearing right now. We cannot have you represent us." Dr. Feintuch believes that it is a conflict of interest for Mr. Toback to represent the community if his friend was a lawyer for the opposition. He also indicated that he believes that after Legislator Toback met with the opposition, he may be slanted toward their side. Other residents then shouted out that they do not want Mr. Toback negotiating for them, stating that any sort of meeting with the opposition expresses a willingness to settle.
After the meeting, Mr. Toback said the attorney is not a friend but an acquaintance and they know each other because the attorney is a lawyer for the Democratic Party.
Mr. Fleischer said, "Mr. Toback does not, will not, and has not negotiated with him [Kabro]." Mr. Carlton added, "No positions, no negotiations, or decisions have been made relevant to the property." He added that so far the association has raised $15,000 to fight the plans.
"I will flood them [the Town of Hempstead] with letters and phone calls," said resident Guila Kaufman. "I have plenty of stamps and a computer, I can keep pressing send." One woman suggested that they give Kabro Associates viable options that both the community and the landowner will enjoy.
Ms. Mestel said they have found a deed to the property, but the one they found has no restrictions on the use of the property. The civic group announced the need for a steering committee to help with a search for the title to the property, a document that would show the zoning restrictions. They also called for attorneys to research it. Peter M. Bartfeld, a real estate attorney who lives in North Woodmere, volunteered as well as Steven Agin, a local real estate owner.
"Right now we don't have nearly enough money [for attorney fees]," Mr. Fleischer said. This must be fought with facts from zoning officials, environmental experts, traffic studies, and water studies, which costs money, he said. "Right now I ask you to put your money where your mouth is," and then asked for a recommended donation of $100. "I don't want to see this anymore you do. I want to see a shopping center," he said.
Jan Burman, a partner in Engel-Burman, the owner of Bristal Communities, the company that will run the facility, said, "I think that people are beginning to understand what we're doing in the community and the response had been more positive. We met with a Nassau County Legislator [Toback] and some civic leaders." Mr. Burman believes that the opposition to the facility "is not the grass roots feeling."
He added that the new facility will bring in less traffic than a shopping center and have less of an environmental impact than a Laundromat, office building, or industrial site, which are their options if the assisted living facility does not go up. "It's not working as a shopping center," he said.
"We want to make it look like a Long Island mansion." He said that it will be heavily landscaped and since it has been scaled back, it will be three floors, including the ground floor.
Stephen Kaplan, a partner in Kabro Associates, said, "I'd rather have a shopping center too, believe me." He also believes that the shopping center is not working and this is a better use of the land. Mr. Kaplan also believes that once the community comes to understand what will go on at the facility they will not oppose it. He says that there is very little traffic to and from these facilities. Of the community he says, "I'll try to address any possible needs they might have."
