by Anthony Rifilato
Baldwin resident Robert Zelinsky asked Santino about the status of a proposal to build "high-end" rental apartments on the former Master Wok site on Atlantic Avenue at a meeting for Baldwin and South Hempstead residents on Dec. 9.
The developer of the project, Roy Tuccillo, owner of My Four Realty Corp., applied for a building permit and variance with the Town of Hempstead in May in order to rezone the property and build eight rental apartments on an area currently zoned for commercial use.
The issue has drawn heat from many residents and community organizations in Baldwin, including the Chamber of Commerce and the Baldwin Community Association, who have said the area is a vital commercial strip and that they would like to see the site developed for commercial purposes. Over 150 residents signed a petition against the project.
Santino said there was a hearing for Tuccillo's application, though he said no decision has been made. Santino could not comment on whether or not he thought the town would vote in favor of the project, though he did say the board has taken into account testimony from residents, letters and petitions.
"We are taking it under serious consideration," Santino said.
After the meeting, Santino said over 60 people came to the hearing two weeks ago to oppose the project. "There was a great turnout," he said.
Zelinsky said that he and others believe that the apartments, with rents ranging from $2,200 to $2,800 a month, won't bring the professionals and families that Tuccillo said he expects to attract to the area.
"Based on where it's located, I don't think they'll get high rent," said Zelinsky. "What we think they're going to get is state-subsidized, low-cost housing. It just doesn't add up."
Zelinsky also asked Santino and other officials about an alleged scavenger hunt in and around Bay Colony in November, where he said high school students vandalized the Bay Colony sign and destroyed property.
"We're aware of the problem," said Captain Thomas Hayes of the First Precinct.
Concerns about Molloy College
South Hempstead residents expressed their frustration at the meeting, saying that Molloy College has expanded its campus there which has resulted in increased traffic and other quality-of-life issues.
Residents and members of the South Hempstead Civic Association said that college students speed, ignore stop signs in the area and overcrowd the streets when they park illegally. They also said that Molloy is illegally holding classes in a house the college has purchased, even though it is not zoned for those purposes.
Santino said that an inspector discovered that one house at 1117 Hempstead Avenue was being used by Molloy College as a classroom and was given a violation. But because the college has applied for a variance with the Town of Hempstead to rezone the property, Santino said residents would have to wait for a decision, though he said he would look into all of their concerns.
Baldwin improvement plans
Santino said that the town is continuing its streetscape project on the southwest corner of Merrick Road and Grand Avenue, which is being refurbished with new lights, benches, curbs and sidewalks. But he explained that there are still issues that need to be addressed in Baldwin.
"Obviously, the west side of Grand Avenue remains a concern," Santino said. Now that plans for moving the First Precinct to Grand Avenue are officially over, Santino said he is looking into ways the town could fund beautifying the area, as well as possibly securing federal funds that could help.
"Now that the county has taken it [the First Precinct project] off the table, it opens it up to being addressed," Santino said.
Another major issue Santino said he continues to pursue is the creation of a canal improvement district in Bay Colony. Legislation to allow residents to create a self-taxing entity to renovate aging and dilapidated canals was passed by the New York State Senate but has stalled in the State Assembly.
The improvement district would allow residents who live along the Grand Canal to control its care, upkeep and maintenance. Because the canal is private, Santino said the town is precluded from providing resources to improve or dredge the canal, which has become a major issue among residents.
"This is an ongoing problem," Santino said. He said the Town of Hempstead will try again for a referendum in 2004 and propose the district formation in Albany.
Gang and crime fears
One Baldwin resident said he was extremely concerned about gang problems and overall crime in the area. The resident said he has only lived in Baldwin for a year and a half, and said that he was shocked shortly after moving to town and hearing about a gang-related stabbing in 2002.
"I wasn't expecting that when I got here," he said.
Capt. Hayes said that while gang members are in the school and the community, they are not as prevalent in Baldwin as they are in other communities. He noted the 23 officers assigned to schools and the precinct's gang unit, as well as 500 arrests made over the past year for gang-related activity throughout the precinct.
"Don't feel unsafe in your neighborhood," said Hayes.
The resident thanked Hayes and Santino, but said he was disappointed at the meeting's turnout. About 50 people attended the meeting.
"There should be a lot more people here," the resident said.
