Munsey Park residents expressed opposition on Tuesday to an application filed to the village’s planning board to subdivide a property owned by the trust of a former mayor for the construction of two new homes.
Residents said the application to split the corner lot at Manhasset Woods Road and Bellows Lane would force engineers to significantly alter the topography of the site, the aesthetic character of the neighborhood and property values.
“We’re not against people making money, and I realize that’s what real estate development is all about, but in this particular situation the look of that particular community will change if two houses are put there in a way that the community doesn’t like,” said Munsey Park resident John Towers.
The application, put forth by Manhasset-based developer DJD Residential LLC, which represents the estate of William Dailey, would split the property into two 11,000-square-foot parcels.
Munsey Park Village Attorney Robert Morici said the planning board, which is comprised of its board of trustees, would issue a decision within the next 30 days.
“I’m hoping that the board will protect us,” said Munsey Park resident Allison Kolin.
DJD Residential representatives said their proposal does not reflect any specific building plans and was meant to show that subdivision is possible at the site while still maintaining the aesthetic, environmental and safety regulations of Munsey Park and Nassau County.
Engineer Charles Panetta, of Bladykas & Panetta Engineers and Surveyers, said the installation of 1,100 cubic yards of soil fill as described in the proposal would mitigate many of the potential storm water runoff issues that could otherwise arise.
Malachy Mahon, counsel to DJD Residential, said the application does not include requests for variances and abides by village and county regulations regarding storm water runoff.
“Codes are codes and we’re not asking for exceptions,” he said. “It’s what the law allows. We’re asking for property rights to be upheld.”
Michael Sahn, the attorney representing both the Dailey estate and DJD Residential, said his clients would only want to build houses that maintain the character of the village.
“I know my clients would accept any condition, covenants or restrictions that supplement what’s already on the regulations of the village that if the board were to approve the subdivision and wanted to add other covenants about what not to build in terms of character or materials, or what to build by way of example, our illustration, they’ll accept that,” he said.
The meeting was the second planning board presentation made by DJD Residential representatives. The first took place in November during a monthly board of trustees meeting.
Residents at the initial meeting also opposed the proposal, saying the community would not benefit with two houses built on the property.
At that meeting, Munsey Park resident Brian Griffith publicized a MoveOn.org petition in opposition to the proposal. At press time, the petition had 313 signatures. There are approximately 2,700 residents in Munsey Park.
The Dailey trust then sued Griffith and his wife Kim and Towers and his wife Kelly for “interfer[ing] with the plaintiff’s efforts to sell a subdivisible lot,” according to the lawsuit.
The case was dismissed in March, as Judge Daniel Palmieri in Nassau County Supreme Court ordered the estate to pay attorney fees and fined its attorney, Edward Boyle, $10,000 for “frivolous conduct,” according to court records.
Munsey Park resident Karl Eschelbach said Tuesday he was concerned that residents at the meeting on Tuesday could be sued by the estate for their questions and comments.
“There was a chilling effect that anyone that spoke out against this project was subject to a lawsuit, and yet we’re still having this meeting after three months of not being able to speak about it,” he said.
Resident Zina Kennedy said she did not want Munsey Park to eventually resemble Flushing, Queens, where she grew up, saying that neighborhood has become “a hot mess” due to over development.
She also expressed concern that the proposed subdivision could resemble two brick houses at the corner of Hunt Lane and Manhasset Woods Road, which residents said are an eyesore for the community.
“Once this is subdivided into two lots, I don’t know, the architectural review board could have some lapse in something and then we could end up with a situation like those homes on the corner of Hunt and Manhasset Woods,” Kennedy said. “That could happen. That has happened.”
Other residents questioned the design of two houses depicted in a three-dimensional model of the proposed subdivision, but Mahon said the buildings served only as a visual aid to show that a subdivision was possible at the property.
Design on the homes, he added, would not begin until after the subdivision is approved, and would abide by village code and neighborhood aesthetics.
“We’re going to build something high quality,” he said. “It’s not going to be a trailer. It’s not going to be excessively narrow. It’s the same size lot that everybody has.”
