By:Jennifer Marino
The Nassau County Planning Commission has not yet made a determination on the application, so no decision can be made until the Sept. 22 meeting of the zoning board.
Neighbors, including several residents of the Hampton House Co-ops next door, came to the meeting to voice their concerns about parking. There is no parking on the west side of Morris Avenue. Parking is further reduced by the firehouse on the corner of Maple and Morris avenues and the various driveways on the street. The parking lot at 106 Morris is owned by Sportset and is used by its customers as well as customers of RVC Lanes and the Golden Reef Diner, according to area residents.
The complex would have more than the required 1 1/2 parking spots per unit, but nearby residents are worried about visitors trying to find parking on the street, in addition to the people displaced from the parking lot that is there now. The project meets all other requirements, including setbacks and square footage, and it is an approved use in a residence B area. The variance is for the frontage of 87.6 feet; 100 feet is usually required.
Lucas is a Rockville Centre resident who is also building condos on Lenox Road. Those involved in the project said they met with the local civic association, which expressed concern about seeing the blank side of a building on Morris Avenue. As a result, the architectural design was modified so that there are windows and gable details on the side of the building that will face the street. Visitor parking will be available on the south side of the building.
The builder and his lawyer, Kevin McDonough, presented experts in real estate and traffic to testify.
The units will each have three bedrooms, a kitchen, living room, dining room, 2 1/2 bathrooms, a laundry room and a two-car garage. Real-estate expert Barry Nelson said that the expected selling price is $650,000. He also said that it was a "smart-growth kind of development," because it is near downtown shopping and public transportation.
Nearby residents, however are concerned about overcrowding in the neighborhood. "Where is it going to stop?" said Joe Lawless, citing the many construction projects in the village. Lawless said he doesn't want Rockville Centre to change into a crowded area like Queens. He feels that eight houses are being jammed into a spot where there should be one. Eileen Schmidt, another neighbor, agreed, saying that every spot in Rockville Centre is being built on.
Mary Parker, who lives on the block, said she has a hard time getting out of the driveway now, and her visitors can't find parking. Hampton House resident Paul Schmidt said that many customers of nearby businesses use the current lot. Several residents said they thought the design of the building was attractive but hoped it could be scaled down.
"This is not the end of the line here," said Zoning Board Chairman Kevin Akner, reminding the concerned residents that the project also has to face the village's planning board and the Architectural Review Board. The case will be heard again at the Sept. 22 Zoning Board of Appeals meeting.
