The controversy surrounding a proposed parking lot to be constructed in the Village of Great Neck by the United Mashadi Jewish Community of America was finally put to rest earlier this month by the Village of Great Neck Zoning Board of Appeals.
During its regular meeting on Thursday, Dec. 1, the board voted to approve a variance to allow United Mashadi to build a 41-space parking lot at 2 Potters Lane. The parking lot will serve the community’s temple located across the street at 130 Steamboat Road.
The action of the board came after United Mashadi was fined $40,000 for cutting down 51 trees in November of 2008 to make room for the parking lot. The Jewish community organization was also ordered to plant three trees for every one it illegally cleared.
“The applicant has been extremely cooperative with this board and has been very responsive to our concerns,” Zoning Board of Appeals member Steven Markowitz said. “The plan has been revised numerous times, again with huge costs involved.”
The approved plan will include a gravel parking lot, which includes permeable concrete paver walkways. The lot will include a security camera and a gate that will only be open during hours of operation.
United Mashadi chose to deal with noise and light generated by the use of the parking lot by installing a 15-foot buffer, which will include trees and shrubs, along with shielded lighting to protect neighbors homes.
“What is before us now is reasonable and would seem to minimize the impact on the immediate neighbors,” Markowitz said. “The proposed decision incorporates many important conditions that address safety and traffic issues.”
All members of the zoning board voted to approve the variance, except board member Tedi Kashi, who abstained from the vote because he attends United Mashadi.
Board member Norman Namdar is also a member of the Jewish community organization.
Markowitz said he believed both board members should have recused themselves from the vote due to their affiliation with the temple.
“It is the question of the very integrity of the decision making process itself,” Markowitz said. “We need to assure the residents of our village that decisions such as this one are made in the most objective and transparent way possible.”
“We want our residents to feel totally confident,” he added, “that any decision made here is not at all related to the personal relationships any members voting on a matter have to individuals or institutions involved in the case.”
During an Aug. 4 board meeting, in which the proposal was tabled, Village of Great Neck Attorney Stephen Limmer said that because neither board member could receive any financial gain from the project, their participation in the vote was both ethical and legal.
There is no apparent timetable for construction of the parking lot to begin, Markowitz said.
