Manhasset Shopping Center realtor made unauthorized property changes, town says

Teri West
A plot of land between the Manhasset Shopping Center parking lot and Brinkerhoff lane is now cleared of trees and has a widened paved area.(Photo by Teri West)

Kimco Realty, the owner of Manhasset Shopping Center on Northern Boulevard, violated a construction permit by clearing trees and paving in an unauthorized area, according to the Town of North Hempstead.

The realty company had a town-issued permit to make structural and drainage-related repairs to the underground parking garage, said Carole Trottere, the town’s communications director. The garage sits at the edge of the property next to Brinkerhoff Lane, a two-lane road with houses and Saint Mary’s Elementary School and High School.

A view of Brinkerhoff Lane facing Northern Boulevard. The metal gating on the right borders a plot of land where Kimco expanded paving and cleared trees, according to the town. (Photo by Teri West)

Kimco clear-cut trees on a plot of land between the parking lot and Brinkerhoff Lane without a tree removal permit and expanded the amount of pavement on that property wider than the five feet previously approved, Trottere said.

On Dec. 5, the Town of North Hempstead issued a notice of violation, prohibiting Kimco from making any more unauthorized changes.

The town also ordered Kimco to secure the gating that borders the property on Brinkerhoff Lane and the shopping center parking lot to ensure that the public cannot get through, Trottere said.

The tree clearing and pavement expansion were meant to be temporary to accommodate the garage construction, said Kimco corporate communications director Jennifer Maisch.

The company denied performing any work that overreached its permit.

“All work performed at Manhasset Center was in accordance with plans approved by the Town,” Kimco said in a statement. “We have no intention whatsoever of creating a permanent egress. The Town did ask us to stop work outside the building, which we did, to address some changes they’d like to see made to the outside work. We are fully cooperating with the Town to make the requested changes, and in the meantime we continue to perform work inside the garage per the approved plans and permit.”

Construction is underway at the Manhasset Shopping Center garage. (Photo by Teri West)

The shopping center, which includes King Kullen and Michaels among an array of other stores, is only accessible for vehicles and pedestrians through Shelter Rock Road and Northern Boulevard.

Years ago, Kimco was prohibited from allowing access to Manhasset Center through Brinkerhoff Lane because it would cause too much congestion in the neighborhood and around the schools, said Richard Bentley, president of the Council of Greater Manhasset Civic Associations.

“That’s where everybody now would want to park because the parking lot, especially during Thanksgiving and Christmas, is a disaster,” he said.

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