By Karenlyn Barone
It is, to them, a very desirable location. Two developers have plans to hold public hearings this week to present their ideas to residents, and they are hoping to get the nod of approval from village officials. Understandably, Lynbrook is abuzz about the prospect of welcoming some of the biggest hotel retailers to the neighborhood.
At a Lynbrook Chamber of Commerce meeting last week, Lee Browning Sr. presented an informal proposal for the construction of a Marriott Courtyard and a Hilton Homewood Suites. Also included in the plan is a way for the Village of Lynbrook to alleviate its parking dilemma, at no cost to the
village.
Browning detailed his plans in a letter, which he says he plans to send to residents' homes. In it, he states, "I am currently in the hopes of developing two hotel properties plus parking in the Village of Lynbrook. The purpose of this letter is to set before you the layout and intent behind the project in hopes that we can work together in creating a development that supports the community in every possible way."
Phased in
The mailing goes on to describe a three-phase construction plan that includes a Courtyard by Marriott, a Hilton Homewood Suites and three parking facilities. Phase I addresses a three-story Langdon parking facility on what is now Village Parking Field No. 3. The lot, on the corner of Langdon Place and Broadway, complete with rooftop parking, would provide 368 parking spaces. Presently, there are 104 legal parking spaces, according to Lynbrook Mayor Eugene Scarpato. The structure, Browning projects, would reduce commuter parking congestion near the LIRR station and increase parking opportunities, thereby reducing the demand for on-street parking. Browning believes this would also create easier access to parking near downtown shops.
Phase II of the plan calls for a hotel property at the corner of Earle Avenue and St. James Place, in village parking lot No. 8. The five-story Hilton Homewood Suites would serve "as a venue for socially driven accommodations such as weddings, family reunions, etc.," according to the mailing. The upscale hotel, with about 100 suites, would also be designed to complement and reflect the historic nature of frontage on St. James Place.
The all-suite configuration would have a three-story parking facility, with rooftop parking, and a total of 275 parking spaces.
According to Browning's initial prospectus, both ground- and second-level parking would be exclusively for the local community. There would be 146 spaces, one more than is there now, according to the mayor.
"Third-floor and rooftop levels will be dedicated to Hilton and Marriott guests and controlled by key-card access. Access into the hotels will only be from these levels, so as to prevent hotel guests from impacting local residents' ability to park," stated Browning.
Phase III would see the construction of a Courtyard by Marriott, a 150-room hotel complete with indoor pool and a 5,500-square-foot banquet facility at the corner of Stauderman and Forest avenues, directly behind the stores on the east side of Atlantic Avenue. The five-story structure would have two floors for parking and three floors of hotel space. There would be a ground-level lobby and reception area, but the rooms would be located on the third, fourth and fifth levels.
"Both lower levels of parking will be for use by the local community, with an increase of approximately 60 spaces over the current configuration," the letter explains. "Both levels will provide covered, well lit parking ..."
Proposed benefits
With the parking located in the rear of stores, Browning plans to incorporate the existing walkway from the current parking lot out to Atlantic Avenue. He says he has proposed extending the archway with a glass atrium, which would serve as an "elegant central point, connecting parking to the archway and providing access to the hotel and parking elevators, which would also be glass enclosed."
A direct benefit to the village is the developer's offer to reface the back entrances of all the stores affected, "ultimately creating two store fronts for the row of stores that back up to the hotel."
There would also be a skywalk connecting the third floors of both the Marriott and Hilton's parking facilities, which would cross Forest Avenue.
Browning describes the key benefits to Lynbrook residents as double the parking, an increase in the tax base, the creation of jobs and even a savings for the village, realized through the parking lots.
The refurbishing of parking lot No. 20, where Browning would like the Marriott to be built, is scheduled to be done by the village this summer at a cost of $500,000. With approval to build on that site, repairs to the lot would be eliminated.
"This saves the village approximately $500,000, which is currently under contract to be done," said Browning in his letter.
"This project gives us parking where we need it the most," said Scarpato. "There are 105 parking spaces now, and there would be 165 upon completion. There is also an additional savings on maintenance and plowing."
The mayor went on to explain that Browning guarantees that his projects will double the parking spaces in the village. Since there would be 250 guest rooms between the two hotels, in accordance with a village ordinance, there must be provisions made for 200 parking spots. The necessity to claim that many spots for the hotel's uses leaves Browning's promise to double parking spaces in the village about 100 spaces short. Browning said he is willing to "make payment of $15,000 per space for spaces that the village decides not to build during the development stages of the project. In lieu of the $15,000 payment per space, if desired, I will assume the equal amount in village debt for un-built parking spaces."
"This will provide much-needed space at the train station and for shopping in the downtown area," said Scarpato, "and the village will get $1,500,000."
The project, even in its infant stages, has residents talking about little else. "I was born and raised here. I am a resident and a businessman," said Ken Jackson. "As a resident, I am against the commercialism, but as a businessman, it's convenient."
Jackson, an insurance auditor, explained that when he brings clients into town now, he has to drive them back and forth to the Marriott Hotel in Uniondale. Having what he describes as a desirable, upscale hotel in Lynbrook would make his life easier.
For now, Jackson said he would gather as much information as possible before coming to any conclusions about downtown development. "I don't know which way it's going to swing," he said, "but I'm open to listen and learn. I'm keeping an open mind. Marriott is upscale, they'll do it right."
Holiday Inn Express
In a separate proposal, developer Robert Hoberman applied in February for a building permit for a five-story Holiday Inn Express on what is the Mangrove Feather building lot on Langdon Place and Broadway. The proposal calls for Hoberman to buy the lot, just north of the Long Island Rail Road's Lynbrook station, from owner Reuben Maron, d.b.a. Engelstein Family Company LLC, and knock down the 104 year-old building. Wax and Ferraro are the architects on this project.
Michael Ryder, superintendent of the Lynbrook Building Department, said, "After review, a letter of denial was sent to the applicant, citing hotel use is not permitted in the Village of Lynbrook, and that the applicant would have to petition the mayor and the Board of Trustees to amend the code to allow such use."
Scarpato said, "We get nothing out of this project except taxes."
The proposal details that the building would be 55 feet high, with three stories of parking and two levels accommodating a total of 84 guest rooms. "This is a self-contained property, and has nothing to do with village property," said Scarpato.
Ryder said the developer will need "a number of variances to do a hotel at all." He said there are also variances needed for side and rear-yard setbacks. "That's the way it goes - that's the sequence," explained Ryder. "You put your request in first, then you appeal for your variances. This will come to a public hearing sooner or later."
Ryder also explained the significant difference in the hotel projects. "The Holiday Inn Express is dealing with private property, while the Marriott/Hilton project deals with village property," he said "So really, for the Marriott to go forward, the village needs everything on the table. The village must know, up front, what you are going to give back to them for building on their property."
According to Ryder, Hoberman is now appealing for variances. "He has the plans, the application, a parking study and environmental-impact study in the building department now," said Ryder.
Tax relief?
Merchants make up a big part of those who will be directly affected by any further development of downtown Lynbrook. "I am not opposed to any development, as long as it is something in the best interest of the community," said a merchant who is also a resident of the village. "I'm OK with development, but obviously, as a resident, I have concerns."
One thing residents agree on is that the proposed commercial properties would help with their ever-rising taxes by increasing their commercial base.
According to Scarpato, the estimated tax breakdown for the Marriott/Hilton project would provide $498,000 for schools per year, village taxes of $207,000 per year, and about $125,000 in Town of Hempstead taxes.
"This project will help stabilize Lynbrook's future tax increases," said Browning. "The entire economy of Lynbrook will ripple in a positive way if this project goes forward. We do not require any services, other than garbage pickup, we don't have any children going to the schools, and we will be employing locally."
Scarpato said, "The value of these projects far outweigh the fear tactics being placed upon us that we are becoming like Queens. We need something, because the residents constantly complain about taxes."
Raising concerns
Loudly opposing the proposal of any hotels in the village are residents who left fliers on cars throughout the village this week. With pleas such as "Stop hotels! Save our village," those opposed are encouraging residents to call the mayor and protest the proposals. Calling themselves People To Save A Village, they warn that Lynbrook will soon resemble Queens, the borough to their west. Similarly, some residents were upset by a proposal for condominiums in the Mangrove Feather building that came before the board last year.
As the Herald went to press, residents were being given the opportunity to listen to the hotel proposals and ask questions at two special forums. On Wednesday evening, Browning had invited them to attend a public meeting to discuss the Marriott/Hilton project. It was held at St. James Episcopal Church, at St. James and Earle avenues. Hoberman was set to discuss his Holiday Inn Express project on Thursday evening at 7:30 at the St. Mary's Council, Knights of Columbus on Hempstead Avenue.
"I see more benefits than I see negatives, and I don't see many negatives," said Scarpato. "Some people say the buildings are too big, but none of them is more than 55 feet tall, and they are in our commercial, downtown area."
The mayor insists the projects would not bring Queens to Lynbrook. "Rockville Centre has three hotels, and they are not doing too bad, except they are starving for parking," said Scarpato. "And that doesn't have to happen in Lynbrook. There is a demand for the hotels, and esthetically the parking lots will be made to look like the buildings themselves. There will be extensive landscaping, and it will create jobs for the residents."
Ryder declined to comment on the Marriott/Hilton project, saying only, "Until we have a formal proposal submitted to the building department to construct a hotel-use type building, I am hard pressed to comment on speculation and verbal conversations."
The Marriott/Hilton project is still not a formal proposal.
"This is a huge project that will make a statement for Lynbrook in years to come," said Scarpato, who maintains that it is his obligation to listen to every proposal that is presented. "This will secure downtown Lynbrook and its tax base, and will make use of parking lots, creating more spaces. And it does not affect our residential community. It's too soon to say I don't like it, and it's too soon to say that this is an absolute winner. We need to keep an open mind until it's all put before us."
Comments about this story? KBarone@liherald.com or (516) 569-4000 ext. 202.
