Village of Great Neck trustees agreed Tuesday to move forward with an application for a six-unit, three-story residential development at 733 Middle Neck Road, the first proposed under the village’s new development incentive bonus zoning
At Tuesday’s Board of Trustees meeting, the board approved the demolition of two existing structures at the site of the planned development and to send design plans to the Nassau County Planning Commission.
Village Clerk-Treasurer Joe Gill said that because the property is located on a Nassau County road, the county’s Planning Commission needs to review the proposed development.
The “incentive zoning” legislation approved by trustees almost two years ago changed zoning for Steamboat Road from commercial and residential to only residential and Middle Neck Road changed to only residential at its northern and southern ends, with a central business core.
Steamboat Road residences, according to the legislation, are zoned for townhouses and Middle Neck Road residences are zoned for multi-family apartments.
Middle Neck Road from Hicks Lane and Arrandale Avenue to Baker Hill Road will only be for business use, Gill said.
Mixed-use buildings, with commercial properties on the first floor and residential on the second floor, are permitted under the zoning changes.
“The idea is that trustees would have authority to grant waivers from the ordinary zoning in exchange for something that may be more community-oriented,” Gill said. “For a price maybe you can get a bigger building or a taller building because by right, you can have a three-story building but with the incentive zoning you can have four stories.”
James Bradley, the attorney for developer Fred Khalili of Great Neck Estates, and Peter Nesfield, the architect for the project, presented the board with an updated rendering of the proposed dwelling.
Bradley said they were hoping the board would approve the demolition of the existing structures at the site because it would “save a lot of time” for construction plans.
Building Department Superintendent Bob Barbach said the building department typically does not issue a demolition permit until there is a building permit in place.
“Usually a demolition permit is not issued until there is a site plan for the redevelopment of the site because we don’t want vacant properties,” Gill said. “In this situation, I think the reason that we’re asking for it is because we know where this is headed.”
Barbach said the village and the applicant would work out an agreement for a $10,000 refundable bond, which the village returns once construction begins.
He said this was to ensure that the applicant will have an incentive to complete the work as promised and would not stall plans.
Village of Great Neck Mayor Pedram Bral questioned how the applicant planned to cover the property once the existing structures are demolished.
“We will require a construction fence, probably a screening along Middle Neck Road and we’ll take it from there, as a condition of the permit and the agreement we would draft for the bond,” Barbach said.
As part of the incentive zoning law, the developer is required to provide some form of benefits to the village.
Phil Butler, who was filling in for Village Attorney Peter Bee, said his office was currently drafting legislation that would create a “standardized calculation method” for a payment in lieu of incentives.
“The applicant has requested that instead of providing stipulated incentives to the village, they provide a payment in lieu of,” Butler said.
He added that he hoped to have the new law passed before the application is approved.
The board also voted to name itself the lead agency for the state environmental impact review, and made a negative declaration on the project, meaning it would have no adverse impact on the surrounding environment.
Gill said the applicant will return to the board at the second meeting in August, since the county planning commission needs 30 days to review the proposal.
