Debate Over Former Knickerbocker Property
Town residents and property representatives debated the parcel's future for nearly 90 minutes.
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The former Knickerbocker Yacht Club property in Port Washington is once again a hot topic in the Town of North Hempstead.
Forest Hills-based Cord Meyer Development Company wants to build a 32-unit, three-story senior housing facility on that property that includes parking beneath the building. Yet at Tuesday's North Hempstead Town Board meeting, the proposal was met with worries about flooding, parking and traffic.
The board spent nearly 90 minutes at Tuesday's meeting debating and listening to discussion about the impact that property would have on the community and its resources. Further debate will continue on Feb. 15.
As proposed currently, the facility would include a 41-seat restaurant. Bill DiConza, an attorney for Cord Meyer, pointed out that the community had asked for some commercial usage from this property. The site would also offer a promenade that would be available to to both locals and visitors, enforceable by the town.
The proposed facility would feature 65 parking spaces for the residents, restaurant workers and patrons. But many at the meeting asked what would happen when these parking spots flooded and questioned whether that would be adequate parking without causing spillover onto local streets.
And while representatives from the property asserted that they are making flood mitigation plans – such as a tank to collect rain water and a gate to stop water – meeting attendees raised concerns about flood waters coming down from higher elevation and how this property's design would impact the community.
Other residents cited that Port Washington already has plenty of senior housing.
Still, some at the meeting liked that the design for the facility pays homage to Port Washington's waterfront heritage. Other positive comments included the observation that the area could gain more tax revenue without adding more children to the school district. A representative for the developer noted that tax paid would increase by nearly 380 percent to $534,000 as a senior housing facility.
Councilwoman Dina DiGeorgio read a letter from Residents for a More Beautiful Port Washington, which stated that it would like the facility to go back to its original plan that did not include a restaurant. A letter from the Port Washington Fire Departmentalso expressed concerns about safety.
The next Town of North Hempstead meeting will begin at 7:30 p.m. on Feb. 15.
In This article
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Town of North Hempstead
220 Plandome Rd, Manhasset, NY -
Port Washington Fire Department
423 Port Washington Blvd, Port Washington, NY (Headquarters)
Local Resident
1:04 pm on Wednesday, January 25, 2012
Was it made clear why RFMBPW is against a restaurant at this property?
Does Councilwoman DeGeorgio share the opinion that a restaurant should not be allowed?
Greg Danilek
2:12 pm on Wednesday, January 25, 2012
The single biggest problem with this development is the parking and traffic. 65 parking spaces for 32 units (35 units on the Cord Meyer website) plus a small restaurant is simply not enough. Parking under this building is absurd. As soon as we have a rain storm or a Nor'easter, we are going to have 32 families looking to park all over lower Main Street and the adjoining side streets. The statement at the hearing that our parking is to code does nothing to address the real concerns with this development. The building should be reduced in size to allow for parking above ground. The traffic impact study numbers were ridiculous. Studies done by firms that are paid for by the developer must be discounted as nothing but biased.
Bryan Jay
8:14 am on Thursday, January 26, 2012
Good points, totally agree.
Kyle
8:10 pm on Wednesday, January 25, 2012
Who cares what RFMBPW thinks!
People are stopping them on Main Street!
Councilwoman DeGeorgio better take a stand soon.
Local Resident
9:48 am on Thursday, January 26, 2012
Although there is strong sentiment from the community against the RFMBPW's sponsored Model Blocks proposal for upper Main Street, there is still a lot of work to do in order to defeat it...see today's Port News for an article relating to this issue.
My question is, why would RFMBPW be against a restaurant or, in otherwords a business that would revitalize Lower Main Street? At the same time they are SPONSORING a proposal on Upper Main Street to completely rezone the 4-block area for mixed-use development in an "attempt" to revitalize businesses there.
So, why is RFMBPW against the restaurant at this location?
With that said, it seems that there are more important issues with the new proposal for the old Kinickerbocker property (ie: actual use, parking, traffic, etc) than to say "we do not want a restaurant at this location".
Why is Councilwoman DeGiorgio reading a letter from RFMBPW for or against a proposal during a ToNH meeting. Is she in agreement with the RFMBPW's letter? Or was she just reading their letter? My opinion is that if RFMBPW wanted to say something they should have had a representative at the meeting. Councilwoman DeGeorgio was elected to be OUR representative and should not be forwarding a specific agenda from a local community group at a ToNH meeting.
Mary Snyder
1:22 am on Thursday, January 26, 2012
"A representative for the developer noted that tax paid would increase by nearly 380 percent to $534,000 as a senior housing facility."
Compared to what? What was/is Knickerbocker paying in taxes? How would a non-senior housing facility tax compare? How does the developer define "Senior Housing?" Age 55+? 62+?
Bryan Jay
8:18 am on Thursday, January 26, 2012
I also agree with this. The more I have gotten to see the agenda that RFMBPW, I realized that they have moved from areal grass roots type of organization, to a mouthpiece for the TONH. Does it have something to do with the $100K grant that TONH "awarded" them? Hmmm....makes me wonder. Maybe they are not so neutral, for a reason.
Laura Johnson
8:53 am on Thursday, January 26, 2012
Nothing against seniors (I am fast approaching this cohort myself), but a senior housing complex is not exactly what I would pick to revitalize lower Main Street.
Barb
9:10 am on Thursday, January 26, 2012
I agree. We have enough senior housing in Port. Time to attract some young people.
Nicholas Capozzi
1:53 pm on Friday, January 27, 2012
Barb, Nice to have young people but it's also not nice to continue to bloat the school population budgets Let's leave homes the place for young famlies and allow older people stay in Port instead of leaving because the can't afford or need 12 rooms. If this is not your pick for lower main St. just what do you want another Nail Place, anohter Pizzaria, another Bar, Just What. After spending 12 years on the BID, I have come to the conclusion many of the young people in Port want more parks and children platy areas many are on the 12 year plan, after the darlings are out of high school they move. If the play My Fair Lady did their previews in Port, it would never make it to broadway. It's always NIMBY.
Laura Johnson
8:59 am on Thursday, January 26, 2012
It is a cautionary tale. The property was rezoned as mixed use and is part of the "waterfront business district." So, although the senior housing might be legal now under the code, I am not sure this is what the adjoining community was expecting when they agreed to the rezoning.
Scott Model
10:25 am on Thursday, January 26, 2012
I am against the senior housing. I say make it open to all. In addition I think a there are a few to many units in regards to available parking. All parties need to sit down and make this happen with some sensible compromises. Otherwise we can get mired in this supposed model block dream and let Main St die another death.
Nassau Taxpayer
10:39 am on Thursday, January 26, 2012
There are already how many restaurants -- a number of which are clearly under-patronized and have been subject to frequent turnover/churn -- on Lower Main Street? Another is needed, why?
Ben
11:20 am on Thursday, January 26, 2012
@ Local resident i would not call the Kickerbocker property lower Main Street it is a long walk along crummy cracked broken sidewalks from the coner of Shore Road and Main Street to Knickerbocker. You need a car to get to the Kickerbocker property drive along the worst road I encounter all day cracks, potholes that are really bad.
@ Bryan Jay you bet RBMPW is now in bed with TONH they will stand behind whatever the town board would like so much for Mindy Germain and her board like the unpopular upper Main Street Plan the Kickerbocker plan will result in a disaster.
I live on Fifth Ave at North Plandome Road steps from Knickerbocker traffice here remains in gridlock most often the TONH redesign of lower main street traffic pattern removing parking spaces did verry little to alliviate traffic conjestion most ALL cars are making a left turn on to Shore Road.
We do not need housing here senior of otherwise.
With the old decrepid Dolphin Green complex steps away and the struggling Manhasset Bay Yacht Club another step away this communiy must be very careful about what is done with Kickerbocker. We can not have even one more home built in this part of town.
Scott Model
7:40 am on Friday, February 3, 2012
I say do away with the restruant since Pollack wanted that for whatever reason. Do away with the senior housing and make it open to anyone to buy in. As for parking the amount of units needed to be adjusted for the available parking. Otherwise if we chose not to do anything than it will be another empty proerty which helps nobody in this town. We neeed to get this worked out and get shovels in the ground
Nassau Taxpayer
9:57 am on Friday, February 3, 2012
Agreed; equal access development. No need for more senior-designated housing. Not need for a restaurant, either, though not for the reason cited -- because there are already too many under-utilized restaurants in the area.