Roslyn Harbor trustees on Tuesday amended village code to grant the board the authority to consider an application for a restaurant as part of a review of the Swan Club’s request to regularly serve dinner in addition to acting as a catering hall.
Trustees said the potential drawback of approving the Swan Club’s request for turning its 90 Glenwood Landing location into a nightly restaurant serving dinner from 5-10 p.m. would be an influx of parking within the village and unwanted late-night noise.
“I think the big issue is going to be when people arrive for an 8 p.m. dinner reservation and people also arrive for an 8 p.m. wedding, there’s going to be a back up at the valet,” said Trustee Sandy Quentzel.
The board scheduled a public hearing for its December 9 meeting to hear community feedback.
“If we can, without any adverse impact to the surrounding neighborhood, grant them something that will enable them to have a stronger financial basis for survival, then I think it’s something that would be in our best interest and in the village’s best interest,” Deputy Mayor Louis Badolato said.
The board also met with members of its village tree committee to discuss their discretionary power in determining the scenarios in which a resident is allowed to take down trees on their property.
Trustee Jermey Rosof read from the village law that enumerates four criteria for allowing residents to remove trees on their property: If the tree is diseased or dangerous, the necessity of removal, the effect on ecological systems, and the impact of screening on the property.
Susan King, a member of the tree committee, said that the committee usually has a policy of residents having to replace a tree if they take down a tree that does not meet the village’s criteria for removal.
The board also discussed the possibility of establishing a tree fund so residents could pay a fee for the village to plant a tree on public property in exchange for removing one from a private residence.
“That would put you in a position where you could either plant another tree or say, ‘No, there’s already enough trees on your property, but if you want to take down this tree, pay X amount of dollars to the Village of Roslyn Harbor tree fund.’ It will at least give you some kind of control,” Badolato said.
