By Hector Flores
The town, speaking for the state Department of Labor, called on subcontractor J.D. Martin Restoration to stop the project. Town spokeswoman Susie Trenkle explained that the town had sent inspectors to the 16-acre property last Thursday after receiving an anonymous tip that work was being done there.
"We sent our inspectors to make sure that the contractors had the proper paperwork," Trenkle said. "After our inspection, we contacted the state department and told them of our findings. They then called us and told us to place the temporary stop-work order, which was based on our investigation."
Trenkle said the state must oversee asbestos removal, and any abatement project must take place before a building is torn down. "The state oversees all asbestos removal, because local municipalities do not have the proper equipment to test for asbestos," she said. "However, any demolition done at the base must first be approved by the town."
Tim Beadnell, spokesman for the New York State Department of Labor, explained that the asbestos cleanup was stopped because the contractor had failed to do a building survey, which is needed before asbestos removal can begin. "The survey locates spots where asbestos is found, and must be completed before any asbestos can be removed," he explained.
The stop-work order was expected to last until Monday, April 18. But it was unclear when the asbestos cleanup would be complete, or when the former Army base's demolition would begin. Additionally, it is unclear whether the base property was rezoned to preserve the town's plan to reuse the facility.
Kabro Brothers, which wants to develop single-family homes on the old Army installation, is set to demolish the base's remaining structures. However, the development has been delayed since December pending the outcome of a rezoning request made by the Town of Hempstead, which seeks to rezone the base from "Residential B" to the "North Bellmore Planned Resident District."
Rezoning would preserve plans for the base developed by the Bellmore Base Reuse Association, which calls for construction of 40 Golden Age semi-attached senior townhouses, subject to income requirements, and 34 detached single-family homes, which are to be sold at market value.
Cynthia Brown of the Nassau County Health Department said that the department has not received any applications from the developer requesting a subdivision for the Army base site. "We don't have any papers or applications at this time for a subdivision," she said.
Developers building more than five units in Nassau County must receive approval by the county health department before construction can begin.
Comments about this story? HFlores@liherald.com or (516) 569-4000 ext. 283.
