Projects/Issues In and Around Manhasset

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• Town and County Opens Issues
• Inisfada: Sale of St Ignatius Retreat House/ Brady Mansion
• Village Bath - Belanich Property Project
• Plandome Rd Vision Project
• Plandome Rd Parking Committee
• Manhasset Valley Park Renovation Project
• Other Miscellaneous Projects

Town and County Open Issues

Inisfada: Sale of The Brady Mansion (St Ignatius Retreat House 251 Searingtown Rd)

Currrently we are in a fact finding stage. The media attention on this matter is growing and vital to help 'smoke out' the facts.

Many were aware that the Jesuits (owner, St Ignatius Retreat House) plan to sell the property and due to its large value beleived that there was only one offer to purchase - a mainland China development group that is reported to be planning a subdivision housing plan for the property. The Jesuits confirm the property is in contract for sale, but no details have been shared. The sale is reported to be in the range of $35-37Million, to a yet undisclosed Mainland China development group that plans to demolish the Brady Mansion in order to build a 40-42 home gated community.

Civic involvement has increased greatly since learning that an alternative purchaser (Community Wellness Center of Amercia and their financiers, Gemma International Group) had expressed interest of purchase and approached the Jesuit NY Provincial, meeting with Fr. Vincent Cooke long before the Jesuits exclusive listing with a real estate broker. The CWCOA proposal commits to saving the mansion and providing  spiritual based wellness services, and matching the price of any offer of sale. The CWCOA document (fact sheet/business plan) is attached below. CWCOA/ Gemma International reports that once the China development contract for sale was announced, CWCOA offerred to include any cost of vacating the contract for sale, but that the Jesuit provisional then stopped all communication. What we have learned thus far:

• The Jesuits claim that a bona offer of purchase has never been received from CWCOA/Gemma and therefore the Jesuits proceeded with selling and signed a contract for purchase with the only "bona-fide" offer from the China development entity.
• The Brady mansion is one of Long Island's historic Gold Coast mansions on the National Registry of Historic Sites. The family descendants include former US Treasury Secy  (under Reagan/HW Bush) Nicholas F Brady. Efforts are moving toward formal landmarking, which appears to be the sole method of permanent protection from destruction of the mansion. There is extensive information available online of the mansions history; just google 'Inisfada'.
• the Property is wholly within the Incorporated Village of North Hills (VNH) and thus, the estate's future lies very much within the VNH jurisdiction, although depending on the toal number of subdivisions that will be applied for, the process may also require Nassau County PLanning Commission review. VNH has advised that an application was received for straightening the road/driveway from Searingtown Rd to the estate house, which was denied. The VNH has no landmark process. Some news reports indicate VNH  issued permits for the dismatling of the Genevieve Chapel. It's stained glass windows removed, all interior furnighings and perhaps even its wooded wall coverings have already been dismantled and moved to the  Jesuit's Fordham Univ campus.
• Community reaction that I have received thus far greatly supportive to saving the LI history of the Mansion, as well as great concern over another housing development's impact on our community infrasture (schools, traffic congestion, loss of 33 acre 'greenspace', etc..)
• A petition to save Insisfada can be found at www.inisfada.org

What we need is discussion and sharing of information to get to the root of facts. Our collective eyes and ears are open to confirm the facts, that more immediately help save Inisfada/ Brady Mansion.

Related Newslinks:

Manhasset Times- Working to Keep Insisfada Standing 6/13/13.

News12 - Story and video clip when Inisfada was first put up for sale. You need to be an Optimum customer or register to view the whole story May 2013.

Newsday - Mansion's Pending Sale Draws Protests 6/5/13.

Newsday -7 LI historic sites listed as threatened 6/2/13

Newsday- Fordham to get Inisfada Chapel 5/31/13

Village Bath - Belanich Property Project

Current status of this project is reflected on TNH Open Items List and GC meeting summaries.

Background: The Town changed the Belanich/old Village Bath parcel zoning to Parking at their 5/29/12 meeting after a public hearing. TNH Site Review Public Hearing held 9/12/12. County review completed and TNH board voted to approve the site plan on 10/2.

Building construction (prior bank storefront) at 1900 Northern Blvd is proceeding through winter. Concurrently, Daffy went into bankruptcy and store has closed. However, part of the Daffy Bankruptcy allows the leased space to remain with Daffy real estate division who is expected to sub-lease this real estate to a new tenant, subject to bankcrupcy court proceeding and approval, not expected to get confirmed until early 2013. Both these circumstances are expected to provide much reduced parking stress at the site during this upcoming holiday shopping season.

September 12, 2012 (7:30pm Town Hall) TNH Public Hearing for the 'Site Review' plans at the Belanich/ former Village Bath parcel and 1900 Northern Blvd (Daffy/Apple) site.  The current plan is posted below. A FALSE eMail letter dated 9/1/12 is currently circulating that the # parking spaces has increased, but the Town Planning Dept and the builder, The Gate LLC have both confirmed the Site Plan being presented 9/12 for Public Hearing is the same Site Plan presented at the earlier 5/29/12 Zoning Change Public Hearing. The exact wording of the Public Hearing notice mailed to adjacent  property owners appears to be the source of the misinterpretation. We've confirmed there has been NO CHANGE in # of parking spaces being proposed: 140 spaces in the existing current parking lot at 1900 Northern Blvd are reconfigured, with 90 additional spaces on the Belanich parcel; Total both parcels at 230 spaces.

Plandome Rd Vision Project Documents

1-9-13 Update on Plandome Rd Left Turn Lane at 25A: During the August 2012 TNH Plandome Rd Repaving Project, the contractor IN ERROR shortened the length of the southbound Plandome Rd Left Turn Lane onto Eastbound 25A. Contractor is already engaged to correct the error to restore the orginal length of this Turn Lane in Spring 2013 (warm weather needed for best paint adhesion).

Efforts to extend the Turn Lane even longer than its prior length during the Town's Plandome Rd August 2012 repaving project were unsuccessful since this is an approach to State Route 25A and falls within NYS-DOT jurisdiction for prior review and approval. We all know how long and arduous the NYS-DOT approval process is, and Councilwoman Kaplan is advancing to have TNH submit the project for NYS-DOT approval and future implementation if approved. IF NYSDOT approval is obtained before the Spring 2013 Contractor's turn lane correction work begins, extending the length of the turn lane even farther than it was, may be viable concurrently.

10/17/12 Update: At a Bayview Civic Assoc annual meeting on 10/17, Councilwoman Kaplan announced that TNH has chosen to modify the NYS-DOT "Safe Routes to Schools" grant project scope of work to remove all paving work. NYSDOT had required use of a highway grade asphalt- 4 times the cost of routine roadway asphalt, which would have depleted/exceeded available project funding. TNH chose a more cost effective approach- to have TNH do all paving work so that normal grade asphalt can be used. TNH submitted a revised scope of work and continues to await NYSDOT approval of the final project bid documents.

8/18/12 Update: It was the original intent "Plan A" to complete the Safe Routes to Schools (SRS) Grant project - covering Plandome Rd from Memorial Place to Park Ave. - as well as TNH's repaving of the remaining segments of Plandome Rd, as well as the County owned portion of Plandome Rd through Plandome Heights all concurrently in summer 2012. A good, well coordinated plan but by mid July, two factors arose making it impossible to acheive:

• NYS-DOT had still not yet approved final bid documents on the "Safe Routes to Schools" grant project (giving insufficient time to enable bid out & contract process),
• Manhasset Lakeville Water District's (MLWD) water main replacement project in Plandome Heights was expanded to include some work on Plandome Rd itself. It makes most prudent sense to wait for the MLWD work to be completed BEFORE any repaving of the Plandome Rd roadway in that area.

Therefore, the TNH's "Plan B" was enacted:

1. Complete the TNH's repaving of Plandome Rd before Labor Day as the TNH promised. This began August 15, 2012.
2. Once NYS DOT approves the SRS project documents, the SRS section of Plandome Rd will be implemented. As of mid Aug, the likely estimate is now mid Fall 2012 (time for bidding, execute contract, then implementation).
3. Once MLWD project is completed, the repavingof the County Owned Plandome Rd portions through Plandome Heights will proceed. The Village continues to update its residents and civics on this project and plans to repave once the water main project is completed.

Plandome Rd Parking Committee

This committee, originally organized in June 2012 by Town of North Hempstead, was reconvened starting in January 2013 with participation of TNH, Chamber of Commerce, Civics, Residents, Manhasset Park District, Inc Village Mayors, as well as Plandome Rd Commercial Landlord/Owners. The committee meets monthly on 2nd Monday of each month through June.

Manhasset Valley Park Renovation Project

The Town of North Hempstead's Valley Park Project beganin late August 2012; Fences block access to the park during construction. Phase 1 construction completion expected by 12/31/12 (delayed by Superstorm Sandy to March 2013) with plantings during spring 2013 planting season. Remaining project scope timeframe not yet determined for Field lighting, Bathroom/Concession, and playground items. Also awaiting Army Corp of Engineers creek dredging time frame.

Dec 2012 Greater Council feedback to TNH (Councilwoman Kaplan) on the Proposed Equinox Agreement: General conept of the shared use parking lot agreement with Equinox seems a worthy plan. Enter/exiting traffic from Equinox onto Bayview Ave is already a dangerous area, so moving its parking to the Valley Park during morning rush traffic should help that segment of the roadway. However, of greatest concern is that there is NO plan on that roadway nor the intersection of Maple St and Bayview Avenue for pedetrian croissings. TNH has to date implemented only a temporary traffic calming solution by adding a 3 way stop sign. Indeed the 3 way stop has calmed traffic, but many drivers simply dont know the lawful right-of-way, making it a continued source of driver confusion. Prior to executing an agreement with Equinox, a safer pedestrian friendly roadway and intersection is required since the agreement will add considerably more pedestrian traffic to an already problematic intersection. Once the park renovation is complete, even more pedestrian traffic is expected through this intersection requiring a long term soltuoin plan for the intersection. Nassau County has already expressed willingness to consider permitting use and renovation of County Land at the NC Public Works property entrance to help design a safer intersection.

Other Miscellaneous Projects Underway