By:Anthony Rifilato
The developer of the property, Roy Tucillo, owner of My Four Realty Corp., proposed rezoning the 19,490-square-foot property, on Atlantic and Milburn avenues, in order to build eight "high-rental" apartments, with proposed rents of over $2,000.
The attempt to rezone the site, which used to be home to the Master Wok Chinese restaurant, had sparked community opposition after Tucillo met with residents in the area to discuss the project.
Residents argued that the apartments would increase traffic, and maintained that the area should remain commercial. They also expressed skepticism about the sort of tenants who would live there, and didn't believe Tucillo's assertion that the apartments would be rented to professionals. Many sent letters in opposition and appeared before the town board to protest the proposal.
On Feb. 10, town Councilman Anthony Santino made a motion that the application be denied. "The board felt that sort of residential use was inappropriate," he said.
Santino cited major traffic concerns and other quality-of-life issues that would have impacted the community. He also explained that because the property is situated on a major corner, it was best left to commercial use.
Also, Baldwin is experiencing something of an economic resurgence, Santino said, with more businesses opening their doors in the area. "We did not think that [the proposal] was conducive to the future of Baldwin," he said. "Baldwin has been coming back."
