Town Cuts Lighthouse Zoning Density Roughly in Half

The Town of Hempstead's reduced zoning density of nearly 50 percent for the Lighthouse site "appears to be economically unviable" for developer and New York Islanders owner Charles Wang and property owner Nassau County, according to a joint statement released by county executive Ed Mangano and the Lighthouse Development Group.

In announcing the "Mitchel Field Mixed Use (MFM) district alternative" at a Monday press conference, Supervisor Kate Murray said the alternative isn't a negotiation but what the land can bear according to a full environmental analysis.

"The Town of Hempstead has been working hard to facilitate reasonable development at the site surrounding the Nassau Coliseum," Murray said. "We committed to 'jump starting' a stalled development process, promised to provide for reasonable development that is progressive, and we have been clear that we would only permit a zone that can be sustained by the environment and local infrastructure. We've produced a zone that is true to those goals.

"What's more, making sure that the zone would be consistent with the suburban character of our area, support our tax base, stimulate the economy, facilitate the renovation of the coliseum and help keep the Islanders hockey team here have also been key determinants in producing this alternative," Murray said.

As the final zoning authority, Murray said the town's new zone facilitates reasonable development, promotes smart growth and "jump starts" the economy all while embracing key elements supported by the Lighthouse group.

The alternate zone permits a 1.6 Floor Area Ratio (FAR), the largest ever proposed in the Town of Hempstead, 5.4 million square feet of construction and nine-story (100 feet) hotels, similar in comparison to the nearby Marriott (also nine stories), the Omni building (10 stories) and RXR Plaza (14 stories).

The height restriction is in sharp contrast, however, to the two 36-story towers Wang proposes for his Lighthouse project.

The mixed-use development would offer "walkable complete streets" with integrated bicycle, pedestrian and vehicular transportation systems, new public streets for better traffic flow and safety, roadway improvements, a renovated Nassau Coliseum and 3 percent more public park/usable open space.

The new zoning district, crafted by town engineers, will be presented as an "alternative" to the Lighthouse project in a Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) and will be considered by the full town board at a future public hearing.

There, however, may no longer be a Lighthouse project since Lighthouse Development Group officials, in a joint statement with Mangano, say the town's "new vision" doesn't appear to achieve the goals of the county or developer.

"The effort between the New York Islanders and Nassau County to keep the Islanders where they belong started back in 2003. Given the financial position of the county, the Islanders developed a plan to fund the transformation of the coliseum. This plan, which came to be known as the Lighthouse, included additional development necessary to fund the construction and other expense of a new home for the Islanders," the statement read.

"While we have not yet had the time to review the 'new vision' just released by Supervisor Murray and the Town of Hempstead for the redevelopment of the coliseum site, it does not appear to achieve the goals of the county and the developer. Without this, the Town of Hempstead's 'new vision' looks to be economically unviable for both the developer and owner of the site."

Murray said she invited Wang to review the proposal but was disappointed when she "never got a call back." The supervisor said she hopes to speak with him "in the near future" about the changes.

The Hempstead Town Board voted to retain zoning/planning consultants Frederick P. Clark Associates back in February to develop a scaled back zoning blueprint on the Lighthouse proposal to dictate the size and scope of what can essentially be built on the 150 acres at and surrounding the coliseum.

Town engineers developed a Planned Development District (PDD) that Murray says complements a refurbished coliseum and accommodates many of the Lighthouse Group's priorities, including a mix of retail, sports, technology, residential, business and more.

"This is something we can live with," Murray said. "This isn't a take it or leave it, it's a jump off point."