By: Jeff Lipton
After a failed attempt to buy the Woodmere Park AssociationÕs support to complete construction of two homes in the neighborhood, the embattled developer made an impassioned plea before the Nassau County Planning Commission last week for approval to finish the project.
Developer Kamran Pourgol said the approval process on the two homes, at Clubhouse Road and Fairway Drive, has dragged on for about three years, and the county and Town of Hempstead are strapping him with financial hardship by holding up the project, since he has been paying taxes on the property.
This has put a financial burden on me, Pourgol told the Planning Commission during a continuation of a hearing on Thursday, Dec. 18. I have a family. I have children. ItÕs not correct what youÕre doing. I made a mistake and I corrected the mistake.
He pleaded with the planning commissioners to give him the necessary subdivision permits.
The town had issued a stop-work order on the two homes, but neighbors testified to the commission that the developer violated the order. Pourgol, who denies that he did any work after the order was issued, appealed to the commission to release one house, since it fully complies with zoning laws. YouÕre holding two homes hostage for one, he said.
Following the hearing, the commission denied the developerÕs request for a variance for a subdivision permit and gave him 180 days to redraw the lot lines to meet minimum land requirements for the corner parcel. In addition, he was fined $1,000 for each home for building without permission.
IÕd be happy to pay [the fine], but please release [the homes], Pourgol said.
In what appeared to be a desperate attempt to finish the homes, which are 80 to 90 percent complete, Pourgol last month offered to give the Woodmere Park Association $100,000, to use any way it wished, if the group backed the project. Paul Glasgow, the associationÕs co-president, which has adamantly opposed the project, said the association voted to reject the offer earlier this month.
Mr. PourgolÕs offer was an attempt to influence our membership to look the other way, and approve his attempts to circumvent violations of the building codes and subdivision requirements which would undermine the basic quality of life within our community, Glasgow said. A vote by acclamation rejected Mr. PourgolÕs offer of $100,000. We refuse to have this very questionable offer influence our judgment.
At one point during the Dec. 18 hearing, the planning commission asked Pourgol why he doesnÕt use the money to correct the violations on the homes.
Everyone is taking this too personally, Pourgol said. They are accusing me of a lot of things.
Pourgol originally was given approval to build when the town issued building permits by mistake.
Woodmere Park neighbors once again testified before the commission, urging the rejection of the project. They complained that Pourgol has failed to keep his promises to bring the homes into compliance with the law. Basements that were built, but violated local flood-hazard laws, have been filled in, but little else has been done, they said.
The houses he put up are totally out of character with the neighborhood, said Stephen Bernstein, co-president of the Woodmere Park Association. Those lots are smaller than the lots in the neighborhood.
Woodmere Park resident Miles Kirschner said that if the project were approved, it would encourage other developers to come in, knock down one home and build two in its place. It would change the entire community from what itÕs supposed to be, he said.
Brendan P. Twomey, PourgolÕs attorney, said one of the homes, the corner lot, was in violation by a mere 1/10 of 1 percent and that most everything else has been complied with. The property is 6,9992 square feet, he said, when it should be 7,000 square feet.
