Elmont – NY. Hempstead Town Supervisor, Kate Murray, and Councilman Edward Ambrosino took time out to pen a letter to Elmont residents announcing a Town board hearing on January 24th at 10:30 a.m. where “a dynamic new zoning proposal that will support growth and prosperity along Hempstead Turnpike” will be discussed.
At around the same time the Murray – Ambrosino letter arrived in Elmont mailboxes, the town turned over the proposed zoning documents (Conceptual Map and Proposed Zoning Amendments) to local business owner and East End Civic Association Member Muzzio Tallini. Mr Tallini had submitted a FOIL requesting access to the documents last month. In an email (excepted here) to members of the community Mr. Tallini said “I have compared it [the propose re-zoning] with previous versions and this document was changed in 1 critical area, specifically it removed residential over retail as a permitted use. Permitting mixed-use along Hempstead Tpke was:
- Supposed to becenterpiece of the rezoning;
- Mentioned in the Elmont Vision Plan repeatedly;
- A fundamental principle of smart growth development; and
- To begin constructing the typeshousing our young generation sorely need to stay.
In short, there can be no meaningful rezoning on Hempstead Tpke without permitting residential units over retail storefronts. In addition, there are other issues with the proposed zoning that can actually make development harder than under the current zoning in place today. “
Further, “Rather than dwell on what's wrong with the rezoning, I suggest we move forward and look at another example of rezoning that was done correctly, namely the rezoning that took place in the Village of Mineola under then Mayor Jack Martins. Mineola is a good example of rezoning in that it successfully removed impediments to development, was very flexible, and encouraged the investment of private capital into their community. The results speak for themselves. Elmont should model its zoning to emulate that of Mineola.
Mr Tallini concludes by asking “Is this rezoning the document that gives Elmont the necessary tools to become the economic powerhouse it deserves to be as the gateway to Nassau County? The Elmont community has committed too much time and effort to settle for anything less than the best.”
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We already know Kate Murray hates Elmont but this is crazy.
After more than three years of community meetings and hiring outside planning consultants, the Town of Hempstead appeared finally – finally – ready to produce real change in struggling Elmont.
In a letter advising area residents of an upcoming Jan. 24 public hearing on the subject, Supervisor Kate Murray and Councilman Ed Ambrosino called the effort to remake the Hempstead Turnpike corridor “a dynamic new zoning proposal that will support growth and prosperity.”
Trouble is, the “dynamic” new zoning plan is now missing one of the key smart growth ingredients recommended in the 2008 draft plan and endorsed by the community: It doesn’t allow for housing over retail stores.
Local developer Muzzio Tallini, who is also vice president of the Elmont Chamber of Commerce, had to file a Freedom of Information Law request to find out what the town had done to the plan. He told Confidential the town’s latest proposal is “no longer consistent” with the principles in the original vision plan.
Did the town think they could hide this? And why, when citizens ask for simple information, do the powers-that-be tell them to buzz off?
Most folks in Elmont want a way to fill empty stores, redevelop blocks of rundown real estate and create a better environment for business and residents. But Tallini said Hempstead’s rezoning attempt has fallen way short.
“I was expecting something dynamic,” Tallini said.
This editorial was printed in The LIBN. The original can be found on http://www.libn.com