Bond Street building, Atria expansion applications adjourned

The Island Now

Great Neck Plaza trustees adjourned an application for a 61-unit apartment complex at 15 Bond St. last Wednesday after the attorney representing the applicant said he was not prepared to move ahead.
“We’re going to ask for an adjournment of the matter this evening because we’re not prepared to go forward as we should be able to provide information to the board,” said Paul Bloom, who represents Effie Namdar, of 14 Park Place LLC, which is seeking to construct the building.
In October, the Plaza’s Board of Zoning Appeals voted 3-2 in favor of variances sought by the applicant.
Namdar and Bloom requested four variances —  one to exceed the number of floors permitted by village code, two related to the construction of a two-level underground parking lot and one to exceed the maximum square-footage allowed by village code.
Residents from the four surrounding buildings — Westminster Hall Apartments, located at 4 Maple Place, and the Cartier Apartments, located at 21 Bond St., 22 Park Place and 25 Park Place — have appeared at past meetings urging the Board of Trustees and zoning board to deny the application, or at the very least deny the variances sought by the applicant.
Bloom said that he and his client had meetings with representatives from the surrounding buildings last week, and had set up further discussions with more representatives for this week.
He said that following those discussions, he would be ready to give the board a full presentation at its next meeting on Dec. 7.
Chris Prior, the attorney representing the residents of the four surrounding buildings, said he was concerned that an adjournment would cause the deadline for him to appeal the zoning board’s decision to pass.
Village Attorney Richard Gabriele said Prior had until Nov. 28 to file an appeal of the decision, but suggested the board delay the deadline while he, Prior and Bloom decide on a more fitting deadline. The board authorized Gabriele to enter an agreement to determine a new deadline with the two sides.
He said it was not clear how long an extension was needed.
Great Neck Plaza Mayor Jean Celender said she was pleased that the applicant was working with the neighbors of the property to ensure that all needs are met.
“It’s always a good thing when you involve the neighboring properties, so I’m happy to hear that,” Celender said. “Certainly we want to have the best outcome here.”
The application was adjourned to the Dec. 7 meeting.
Also at the meeting, the board adjourned an application by Atria Great Neck, which is located at 51 Great Neck Road, to convert its second floor into a memory-care facility for patients with dementia and Alzheimer’s.
The Plaza’s zoning board granted the two variances Atria was seeking related to 21 single-occupancy units in the proposed memory-care facility and 27 nonconforming units on the building’s other four floors.
After representatives from Atria first appeared before the Board of Trustees in August to modify its conditional-use permit to convert its second floor into a memory-care facility, it was discovered that some rooms in the building were not constructed in compliance with village code, thus requiring the applicant to seek variances.
The building was constructed by Middle Neck Associates LLC between 1997 and 1999, and the certificate of occupancy was given by the village in 2000. Atria did not purchase the property until May 2011.
Although the zoning board unanimously approved the variances, Gabriele said the board would need to issue a final decision.
He said the zoning board will meet again on Dec. 7 at 7:30 p.m., 30 minutes before the Board of Trustees meeting, where Atria will return for its application to modify its conditional-use permit, to finalize the decision.
Atria will then appear in front of the Board of Trustees immediately after, he said.

By Joe Nikic

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