Having lost the war, the North Hills and Manhasset residents who fought valiantly to save the Saint Ignatius Retreat House from the wrecking ball have won a small battle.
Village of North Hills officials said they have told Manhasset Bay Group Inc. that they would not get a permit to build a clustered housing development on the property where the Inisfada once stood.
North Hills Mayor Marvin Natiss said if the Bay Group had its way it might build 51 houses on the site.
“That’s not going to happen,” he said.
The Bay Group which purchased the property from the Jesuit order in July for $36.5 million has yet to submit a plan for the site. It now looks as though clustered housing is off the table.
An attorney for the Bay Group said it has no time table for submitting a plan. The demolition is still underway.
Nearby residents are now worried that the Bay Group will remove the trees that line the property. They can’t cut down those trees without the permission of the village.
“I fought hard to save that house,” said North Hills resident Arlene Travis about the retreat house. “I don’t want to lose the battle of the trees.”
The battle over Inisfada put a spotlight on the challenge of balancing the rights of a property owner, in this case the Bay Group, and the concerns of the surrounding community.
The Bay Group, made up of people with no ties to the area, said it has only the best intentions and will develop the property in a way that will make everyone happy. Then why is it keeping its plans a secret?
We can think of no reason why the residents of the Village of North Hills should trust in the good will of the Manhasset Bay Group Inc.
