Village reschedules zone change vote for Jan. 11

The village has rescheduled a hearing and vote to rezone a stretch of South Franklin Avenue for Jan. 11. If approved, the measure could pave the way for the construction of a 35-unit, four- and five-story apartment complex, comprising two-bedroom units. The hearing was originally set for Dec. 21.

The proposal, by the Oyster Bay-based Rand L.I. LLC, would replace the existing commercial buildings on the 16,300-square-foot property, near the Valley Stream train station, with the apartment complex. The Nassau County Planning Commission, which reviewed the zoning change and construction proposal on Nov. 12, signaled support for the project as transit-oriented development, but requested that the village provide information on affordable housing proposals in its multi-family housing applications to the county Planning Department.

The vote scheduled for Jan. 11 would convert a portion of the village’s commercial zone to one that allows apartments. Should the village approve the rezoning plan, the development would still require a parking variance before moving forward, according to county planner Martin Katz. The current proposal includes 51 parking spaces under a raised first floor. Village code requires 70 spaces for an apartment complex of the size in the proposal.

Rand purchased the property on Dec. 15, 2017 from its previous owners, Franklin Square-based South Franklin Associates LLC for $1.15 million, according to Nassau County land records.

Brad Mott, managing member of Rand L.I., first petitioned the village board of trustees for the rezone proposal on Oct. 11, 2019, according to the village’s application to the Planning Commission obtained through a Freedom of Information Law request. Valley Stream-based attorney Dominick Minerva is representing Rand in its petition to the village.