The redevelopment of 794 Middle Neck Road in the Village of Great Neck is a land-use issue.
The application currently before the Village Planning Board is for an as-of-right project that the developer is allowed to pursue under law.
Unfortunately, the issue has become politicized, and the core issues related to the redevelopment have been lost. It seems that many people are seeking to inflame the issue rather than to resolve it.
Kings Point Gate Associates has always said that it would work to find the current tenants comparable housing and it has been actively exploring alternative housing options within the Village of Great Neck.
It is important to note that all new multi-family housing projects in Great Neck must contain workforce housing by law.
One project with a significant number of workforce housing units has recently been approved for development and others are now being contemplated.
These projects would provide affordable housing relocation options within the Village of Great Neck for the tenants. This fact has been ignored as the tenants have sought to delay the 794 Middle Neck Road project and position it as a proxy for larger social issues.
The disparate impact study approved by the Planning Board is not an appropriate action under SEQR.
However, the addition of new affordable housing within the Village, both approved and in the planning stage, must be considered by any analysis, formal or otherwise, as it would potentially provide double the number of units currently occupied at 794 Middle Neck Road.
George Shea
Spokesperson, Kings Point Gate Associates
