Environmental concerns on 145 West Shore Road proposal

Rose Weldon
An image of the proposed project at 145 West Shore Road in Port Washington, presented during an informational session by the Southern Land Development Company. (Screencap)

Residents of the Port Washington area raised concerns over the environmental effects of a proposed development at 145 West Shore Road at a public scoping session held by the North Hempstead Town Board on Tuesday night.

The estimated $120 million development is being shepherded by Southern Land Co., which filed a petition to rezone a 7.17-acre parcel at 145 West Shore Road, currently housing the construction supply wholesaler Bay Aggregates, from “Residence-AAA” to “Multiple Residence” to enable the construction of a seven-level, 176-unit residential building with a 29-slip public marina on Hempstead Harbor, not far from North Hempstead Beach Park.

A Change.org petition opposing the development was launched by the Beacon Hill Residents Association several weeks ago and has collected over 1,800 signatures. Reasons cited in the petition include overpopulation, traffic congestion, stress on school, water and sewer district and police and fire departments, and the environmental health of Hempstead Harbor and Manhasset Bay.

The scoping session was held in accordance with the State Environmental Quality Review Act, which requires all state and local government agencies to consider environmental impacts equally with social and economic factors during discretionary decision making, Councilwoman Mariann Dalimonte, who represents the Port Washington area, said at the outset of the Zoom call.

North Hempstead Town Supervisor Judi Bosworth, Clerk Wayne Wink and the remaining members of the Town Board were also present.

Town Planning Commissioner Michael Levine said that a final scope and environmental impact statement would come next for the proposal, and a final impact statement would be created later, at the end of 2021 or beginning of 2022.

Levine said the town would issue a final scope in the next two to three weeks.

Kathleen Deegan Dickson of the Uniondale-based law firm Forchelli Deegan Terrana Law, representing the property’s owners, said, “The plan is to clean up the site and to develop a 176-unit luxury residential building with a public marina and other publicly accessible amenities.”

The public comment session began with Stephen Klyce, who argued that the development would bring further strain to public utilities that served the area, like the Port Washington Water District, National Grid, PSEG Long Island and the Port Washington Water Pollution Control District, which he claimed would have to be expanded to fit the development.

“One of my greatest concerns lies of the quality of water in our bays. Manhasset Bay in particular has been designated as an impaired water for the presence of pathogens, by the [state Department of Environmental Conservation],” Klyce said.

“Port Washington, the Town of North Hempstead and Nassau County did not have adequate infrastructural resources to service the needs of the West Shore residences plan without significant improvements in energy supply, water supply and human waste treatment plants. Continued incremental demands on these overburdened resources is really a serious concern that impacts the natural environment and quality of life of our residents.”

Paul Allen, president of the nearby Beacon Hill Bungalow Corp., also known as the Beacon Hill Colony, was next to speak and said that his gated community would be at a sort of “ground zero” for the project’s effects.

“For the 41 homes I represent, this isn’t good, bad or indifferent,” Allen said. “It’s going to make a huge, huge difference in the quality of life of my 41 homeowners.”

Jeff Jackson of Port Washington was the first to voice support for the project.

“I believe that the community benefits far outweigh any of the negatives,” Jackson said. “The area is currently contaminated, and the builder is agreeing to do a significant cleanup to the area. The area right now is kind of a commercial blighted site, and the builder is going to do a cleanup of that area as well.”

A spokesperson for the Southern Land Co. said in a statement to Blank Slate Media that the company appreciated the feedback given during the session.

“Southern Land Company and our partners appreciated the opportunity to present facts about our project plans for 145 West Shore Road, Port Washington, and hear community members’ comments during the Town of North Hempstead’s public scoping session,” the statement said. “We will continue to comply with the SEQRA process and with the Town of North Hempstead. We look forward to reviewing the Final Scope in the upcoming weeks.”

Written comments relating to the draft scope of the project are being accepted into the record until Tuesday, and residents with comments or questions are advised to send them to planning@northhempsteadny.gov.

Share this Article