The Town of North Hempstead board approved plans for a $10 million upgrade of the 40-year-old Denton Green senior citizen apartment complex in Garden City Park at Tuesday night’s meeting, allowing the owners to meet an Oct. 1 deadline to receive federal assistance.
The state, which administers the federal program, imposed an Oct. 1 deadline for Denton Green Housing Co., Inc. to apply for a federal low-income housing tax credit. The state Homes and Community Renewal agency selected Denton Green Housing to apply for financial assistance last fall.
“The most important feature of Denton Green is its use,” said Denton Green attorney Brian Cunningham. “What all this means is that for the past 40 years, elderly residents in the Town of North Hempstead have had a place to live.”
Proposed improvements to the 113-unit apartment complex at 500 Denton Ave. in Garden City Park include the addition of a second elevator that can accommodate hospital gurneys, a new driveway curb cut to make the complex more accessible to emergency vehicles and renovation of first-floor apartments to make them wheelchair accessible.
Improvements are to be made to all apartment units to make the building compliant with standards set by the Amercans with Disabilities Act of 1990, Cunningham said.
Great Neck-based developer SKA Marin, successfully applied for $1,123,919 in annual tax credit funds in a competitive process from the state Homes and Community Renewal agency. Banks typically purchase the tax credits and provide the money for the development of the projects such as Denton, according to Sydelle Knepper, owner of SKA Marin. She said the total estimated cost of the project is $10 million.
“Denton Green has met the needs of its residents for 40 years. We’d like to ensure its availablity for the next 50 years,” said Daughtry Carstarphen, architect for the project.
A new roof will be put on the structure and the windows in the 113 apartment units are to be replaced and energy-efficient lighting and appliances installed.
Jobco, a Great Neck contractor, has been retained to do the work, according to Knepper, who said the contractor had committed to completing the work within one year.
Denton Green is also seeking extension of low-income tax credits from the town and the county. Town of North Hempstead Supervisor Jon Kaiman offered an amendment to the town’s approval to enable the town to revisit the tax issues with Denton Green at a later date.
Hy Portnoy, president of the board of Denton Green, said he was pleased the town board approved the plans.
“The state was lighting a fire under us,” Portnoy said.
Denton Green was constructed in 1972 under provisions of the Limited Profit Housing Companies Act, enacted in 1955 for the purpose of building affordable housing for middle-income residents. The housing developed under this program is more commonly known as Mitchell-Lama housing.
Denton Green, which is owned by Denton Green Housing Co., Inc. , is one of two Mitchell-Lama housing projects in Nassau County. The other county Mitchell-Lama housing facility is the Nathan Hale complex in the Town of Hempstead.
In other developments:
• The town board authorized a memorandum of agreement between the Civil Service Employees union local 1000 and the town establishing terms of a five-year agreement from Jan 1, 2012 through Dec. 31, 2016 providing for salary increases of 2 percent in the first two years of the deal, 2.5 percent in the third year and 3 percent in the final two years of the deal.
• The town board approved a resolution authorizing agreements with four taxi cab companies to provide discounted rides for residents 60 years and older for non-urgent medical appointments and grocery shopping. It is a continuation of a transportation program established under the town’s Project Independence program aimed at enabling senior residents to maintain independent households.
