Great Neck Estates residents pan Clover Drive plan

The Island Now
Rachel Applebaum addresses the Village of Great Neck Estates Board of Trustees on Monday with her objections to the project as Village Administrator Kathleen Santelli looks on. (Photo by Samuel Glasser)

By Samuel Glasser

A succession of Great Neck Estates residents on Monday night gave the village board a host of reasons not to approve a proposed 11-home subdivision bordering Clover Drive.

The developer, Lalezarian Properties of New Hyde Park, presented the plans to the village Board of Trustees last month. Great Neck Estates Mayor William Warner opened the hearing by noting that the board would take public comments, but would not answer questions.

“The applicant will respond later,” he said. The hearing will continue at the next board meeting on July 17.

The proposed project is partially located in the Village of Great Neck and the Village of Great Neck Estates.

The Village of Great Neck Board of Zoning Appeals approved the project as did the Great Neck Planning Board in May 2014, on the condition that Great Neck Estates trustees approved it and that state officials approved plans for the access road.

Daniel Winkleman of VHB Engineering, the village’s consultant, said that a preliminary review of the plans left it with certain concerns, such as the problem that big vehicles, such as fire engines, would have in making the turn into the development.

Other concerns include the location of a retaining wall, and a site evaluation that is based on a traffic study that was conducted in 2012 and should be updated. Also, the layout of the subdivision roads does not meet building codes, Winkleman said.

Access to the subdivision would be by a private road intersecting with Clover Drive. Residents of Clover Drive objected on several grounds.

They said storm sewers are already overloaded in heavy rain, causing flooding, the additional traffic will make the limited sight distances for drivers on the street even more dangerous, and the new street would be too narrow for trucks making the turn off Clover Drive.

Robin Gordon said she felt that the approval by the Village of Great Neck was “a terrible mistake.”

Resident Doris Ahdout said that a device for counting traffic was placed on her property without her permission.

One of the days it was there was the Sabbath, when there is little traffic in the neighborhood, she said.

Attorney Paul Bloom, who represents the developer, said that “we believe that a number of issues were misrepresented. We will prepare a formal response.”

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