After more than three years of discussion and several revisions, the Mineola Board of Trustees unanimously approved a plan on Wednesday for Lalezarian Developers to build a 315-unit apartment complex at 250 Old Country Road as a rental property
Under the plan, the developer will pay the village $3.1 million in cash as a contribution for improvements in the business district.
In exchange, the board agreed to relax village requirements limiting structures to three stories and the distance the building is set back from the property line, village officials said.
“This project has been pending for a number of years. It is now time to approve it or disapprove it,” said Village of Mineola Mayor Scott Strauss in introductory remarks.
The board’s approval followed two public hearing that resulted in significant changes to the original site plan.
The developers agreed to reduce the number of apartment units in the plan from 345 to 315 after village board members expressed concerns about the project’s density.
Changes were also made to the building’s design. A revised plan was presented at an August hearing in which a recessed section on the side of the building facing Old Country Road replaced a flat wall that board members said appeared “too massive” Street landscaping around the building’s perimeter was also added as an amenity.
Lalezarian Developers, which is based on Marcus Avenue in New Hyde Park, also agreed to reduce from 30 years to 20 an agreement with the county Industrial Development Agency for payments in lieu of taxes.
Spellman said a change in Lalezarian’s original plans to build a condominium complex on the site in May 2009 was prompted by changes in the real estate market and probable objections from Village of Garden City officials. The project’s proximity to the Garden City border gives the village a say in proposals for condominiums.
The project, which was approved by the county planning commission prior to the village vote, calls for 166 one-bedroom units, 127 two-bedroom units and 33 three-bedroom units. The apartment complex will also include 32 “workforce” units for first responders to be rented to people with incomes at between 50 percent and 75 percent of the median income in Nassau County. The workforce units will contain the same fixtures as the other apartments – a change prompted by an objection Strauss raised at a prior hearing.
Lalezarian also raised its original payment offer to the village by $600,000 – from $2.5 million to $3.1 million – during negotiations with village attorney John Spellman.
Although the board’s vote was unanimous, two village trustees expressed misgivings about the agreement to grant the special permit.
Trustee Lawrence Werther said the payment in lieu of taxes, known as a PILOT, would result in the Mineola school district receiving $50,000 a year instead of $100,000 annually.
“I’m a little disappointed in the PILOT,” Werther said. “I just hope it’s worth it. I see a lot of senior citizens moving out of the village because they can’t pay the school taxes.”
Strauss said the IDA sets the PILOT school tax rate.
Spellman said the village will receive 11 percent of PILOT payments with the school district receiving 70 percent.
PILOT payments start at $9,137 in 2015 – the first year the payment are to be made – and rise to $160,220 in the final year in 2034. Payments from the developer in a separate agreement start at $268,864 in 2015, rising to $327,256 in 2034.
Trustee Paul Cusato, a veteran volunteer firefighter, expressed concern about fire protection due to the building’s nine-story height.
“We need to establish a height limitation,” Cusato said. “I do have a big issue with the height of this building.”
The proposed structure will stand 84 feet 9 inches high along Old Country Road and 94 feet 2 inches along Third Street.
Village of Mineola Deputy Mayor Paul Pereira said he doesn’t want Mineola to become a nine-story village, but said “this is the only area of the village where we can do this.”
Commenting on the developer payment plans, Pereira said in the 20th year, the school district would receive $1 million from the project, while the village would receive $500,000.
“Our downtown needs the benefit of the foot traffic this project will bring,” Pereira said, calling the current downtown environment “a ghost town.”
Spellman said the project is in line with the village’s master plan and said, “It will contribute to the vibrancy and stability of the village’s downtown.”
He said the $3.1 million in amenities would be made to the village in five installments, starting with the issuance of a building permit for the building. The second payment would be made with the issuance of a certificate of occupancy, with remaining payments on the three subsequent anniversaries.
After briefly conferring with the Lalezarians after the vote, their attorney, Kevin Walsh told board members that demolition of the former Keyspan building on the property would be done in the spring with new construction to soon follow.
“We’re excited to build a first-class building in a wonderful community,” Lalezarian partner Kevin Lalezarian said.
In other developments:
• Spellman said village-owned property near Bruce Terrace that neighboring residents have encroached on over the years is to be vacated by Feb. 1. The village is clearing the tract for land it will cede to the Town of North Hempstead for the town’s portion of the flood remediation project on the border of Mineola and Carle Place.
Spellman said some residents in the area have extended use of their backyards onto village property by building sheds, paved patios and, in one case, a swimming pool.
• The village board approved the sale of property at 267 East Jericho Turnpike near Wilson Farms for $233,000. The land will be used for parking space.
Strauss said the village “can’t do anything” with the property and can use the $233,000 received in the sale to help erect a new gazebo in Mineola Memorial Park, installing sprinkler parks in Memorial and Wilson parks and replacing a Wilson Park snack stand destroyed by fire.
