Without 'Jump Start,' Lighthouse Project Would Die Slow Death, Murray Says

The Hempstead Town Board is voting on a measure at their Feb. 9 town board meeting to retain zoning/planning consultants Frederick P. Clark Associates to develop a scaled back zoning blueprint on the Charles Wang/Scott Rechler Lighthouse proposal.

Murray said the zoning blueprint will dictate the size and scope of what can essentially be built on the 150 acres at and surrounding the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum.

Engineers, at the town board's direction, will develop a Planned Development District (PDD) that will "complement" a refurbished coliseum and accommodate many of Wang's and Rechler's priorities now included in their proposal, including a mix of retail, sports, technology, residential, business and more.

Murray and Councilwoman Dorothy Goosby, whose district encompasses the coliseum and its surrounding acres, said it would be premature to provide further details of a new PDD before meeting with consultants.

"The Lighthouse project has been flagging and really has gone silent over the last several months. The development group withdrew from participating in the environmental review and zoning process," Murray said during a Monday morning press conference. "Without the 'jump start' this project would die a slow death."

Murray said the Lighthouse group has stopped making payments for engineers to conduct the state-mandated environmental review and has not provided answers regarding traffic mitigation since the Sept. 21 zoning hearing.

"The town board presented a number of very important environmental questions, specifically around traffic issues among other concerns," Murray said. "Those questions have remained unanswered."

New York Islanders owner Charles Wang has publicly stated he wants a firm yes or no from the town board, the final zoning authority on the project, or he'd seriously consider looking elsewhere to build.

Murray said she spoke with Wang less than an hour before taking the podium this morning, noting he was "positive" and "upbeat" about sitting down to discuss the new proposal. Frederick P. Clark Associates is expected to have a new plan by early summer.

Wang was unavailable for comment.

Garden City Trustee Nick Episcopia, who represents the eastern section of the village, the largest of the four, has been vocal in the past about the need to size the project down.

"They should do it gradually as far as what effects it has on the community," he said.

Garden City Chamber of Commerce president Roger Eltringham believes town officials and the county executive should immediately formulate some "fundamental agreements and move forward."

As he stated during formal remarks at the town's public hearing on the Draft Generic Environmental Impact Statement, "When I look at 1,000,000 square feet of office space and 500,000 square feet of retail space, and yet another hotel, the overpowering feeling I get is a queasy apprehension about our future … In its present form the Lighthouse is a development that could suck office and retail business alike to it's center, leaving Garden City and other towns as a second rate, half empty shell that can't compete with the glamour of this project."

He has consistently urged Wang and Rechler to consider a more modest version, particularly in the office and retail segments of the plan.

County Executive Ed Mangano, who stood in support of the town board's measure, said the town is acting responsibly and progressively.

"Quite frankly, as we all realize, real estate markets have changed. The financial market's not what it was. We all share the common goal of having a redevelopment at the Hub. We share the common goal of creating jobs sooner rather than later and we share the common goal to keep our Islanders here. I am very hopeful that the town's actions, which are completely within their jurisdiction, will send the right message to the development world and perhaps this developer in achieving a development that is immediate; it's necessary and I believe the people of Nassau County want it."

Mangano said this latest step does not change the status of the lease with the county nor does it alter the county's contractual obligations.

"Rather, we are supporting this from the perspective that it at least moves the ball forward to determine a level of development that's acceptable. Our wish would be that it's acceptable to the present developer," Mangano said.

The lease will be appraised based on the level of development. "If the developer was to go forward, then that would be appraised and the lease would be adjusted accordingly," Mangano said.

Garden City Trustee Dennis Donnelly, who serves as liaison to the village's business district, thinks the town board is taking a reasonable approach.

"We all believe that some planned development is the right thing to do for the county, the town and our village," Donnelly said. "We hope to have continued input into the process so the wishes of Garden City can be heard. We all want to see a renovated home for the Islanders and some form of additional development."

The supervisor believes this is the most important development to come before the board in many generations.

"One hundred fifty acres is extremely hard to come by in the Town of Hempstead," she said. "In fact, real estate experts tell us that the Town of Hempstead is approximately 98 percent developed at this point. So to have a 150-acre parcel over which we are considering re-development is extremely important."

She is hopeful Wang and Rechler will embrace this new vision.

To view an interactive map of the current Lighthouse proposal, visit http://www.lighthouseli.com/map.