By Richard Tedesco
But there was a sharp divergence of opinion on whether to hold a public hearing on a proposed 93-word statute stating that "development for private residential and/or private commercial use of any buyilding or open space owned by the Village of Lawrence is henceforth prohibited." The statute further stipulates that any public property sold cannot be leased or transferred for residential or commercial use, noting "this restriction shall run with the land forever."
Trustees Simon Felder and Martin Oliner pushed to set a date for a public hearing, but Mayor Jack Levenbrown and Trustee Joel Mael pushed back by abstaining when the issue came to a vote. In the absence of the fifth trustee, Edward Klar, who'd left the meeting early, a 2-0 vote couldn't carry the day. Or could it?
"If two trustees want a public hearing, isn't that enough to have a public hearing?" Felder asked village attorney Ronald Goldman. Goldman said he wasn't sure.
"Abstentions by the mayor are not appropriate," said a visibly frustrated Oliner. The motion was reconsidered with a 2-1 result; Levenbrown voting against, and Mael again abstaining.
Then the real debate began. "We don't want to sell village property wholesale," said Levenbrown, "but every once in a while, a small parcel comes up."
Levenbrown said he was concerned that the law might tie the board might impede the board from being able to sell small, otherwise unusable parcels of land.
"What I'm concerned about here is the purpose of what's on the table," said Mael.
Mael said there was a "groundswell of support" among Lawrence residents to relocate the public library in Zion Park, and expressed his concern that the new statute might inhibit that prospective move.
Goldman said a Zion Park library would still be public use on public land. And he pointed to what the statute prevents: a disreputable private buyer purchasing public land for, say, an orphanage, and then "flipping" that property for condo development. "This legislation doesn't solve every single problem," said Goldman, "but it does what it does."
Playing what-if?, Mael said under the new law it would still be possible for the board to sell the Lawrence firehouse and move the fire department into the park next to the village hall tract.
And Mael expressed reservations about passing a statute that could eventually be reversed by a future board. "So then, why pass anything?" asked Felder.
The trustees seemed no closer to resolving the issue than when the discussion had started an hour earlier. But a third motion - to reconsider - proved the charm, with the trustees now voting 4-0 in favor of a public hearing on the new law at next month's regular meeting.
"It's a Purim-spiel," said Rabbi Howard Safir (SP), and no one in the room disputed that point with the rabbi.
Comments? Contact Rtedesco@liherald.com or call (516) 569-4000, ext. 204.
