By Dana Williams
Town supporters of the URP, however, still contend that the plan would lead to the successful development of the parcels of land surrounding the West Hempstead Long Island Rail Road station on Hempstead Avenue.
The URP is the product of a months-long study by the independent consulting firm Saccardi and Schiff. Designers of the plan said it provides many solutions for the area that was determined to be blighted by an independent study adopted by town officials in May of 2006.
Officials said that the goals of the URP include eliminating the blighted parcels by creating new, market-rate housing, and developing underutilized land on Hempstead Avenue. The plan recommends, among other things, a mix of residential homes and businesses on both sides of the street. It also calls for additional commuter parking near the West Hempstead train station.
Redevelopment of the 2.7-acre property where the crime-ridden Courtesy Hotel now stands is a crucial part of the town's 10.5-acre URP. "The Urban Renewal Plan is proposing to build no more than 45 units per acre on the Courtesy property," said Charles Theofan, the town's commissioner for planning and economic development. "We're advocating this because of the uniqueness of the location's proximity to the train station." The town's vision for the area also calls for the preservation of open space on land south of the hotel site.
Theofan also said that the town is looking for a private developer to acquire the properties needed for the URP. After sending out requests for qualifications to a number of development firms who expressed interested in rebuilding the area, town officials chose four developers: Trammell Crow Residential, the Sheldrake Organization, Breslin Realty and the Benjamin Group. If the URP is adopted, one developer will be chosen.
Since the plan's unveiling in July, however, West Hempstead residents have repeatedly expressed their opposition to it, with the majority saying that it does not match the community's needs. Members of the West Hempstead Civic Association have called the plan "short-sighted" and have criticized town officials for not making efforts to incorporate the public's input into the plan's design.
Scott Jablow, president of the Cathedral Gardens Civic Association in West Hempstead, told Theofan at the hearing that his department should have made a better effort to discuss ideas with community leaders. Jablow also criticized Town Supervisor Kate Murray for not fulfilling her promise to have the Courtesy Hotel closed by the end of 2007.
Others who oppose the URP told the town board that the plan favors the eminent domain process, which would further delay the closure of the Courtesy. "What we're hoping is that when we do select a developer, the representatives will successfully negotiate the purchase of the property," Theofan said. "This way, eminent domain will not be used."
The hotel's owner, Bruce Zwelsky, has said that he would fight the town in court if it attempts to take his property through eminent domain. "The Urban Renewal Plan is the most expensive, time-consuming and legally dubious way of getting this problem solved," said Zwelsky's attorney, A. Thomas Levin. "My client is going to fight the town in court if the town chooses eminent domain ... and we feel we can win."
Residents say that each year they hope the Courtesy will finally be gone from their community, but the hotel is still in business. Longtime West Hempstead resident Seth Bykofsky called the proceedings before the town board "nothing short of a circus act."
Bykofsky added, "Many of us are just shaking our heads. We're wondering what ever happened to representative government." West Hempstead civic and community leaders showed up at various town meetings last year to support the construction of a four-story apartment complex on the Courtesy site. Trammell Crow Residential is looking to build a mixture of one- to three-bedroom luxury apartments that the firm says will appeal especially to young professionals. Since March 2006, the developer has been in contract to purchase the hotel from Zwelsky.
"Residents want to stop all this waiting," resident Edgar Mendez told the town board at the hearing. "Let Trammell Crow Residential purchase this hotel."
Trammell Crow has filed a rezoning petition with the town, and the board tabled its decision on the matter to a later date. Town officials did not say when a decision on the petition or the URP would be made.
Comments about this story? DWilliams@ liherald.com or (516) 569-4000 ext. 265.
