Residents Voice Disapproval of NVG Project

The proposal for a new assisted living facility at the North Village Green site is not proving to be a popular one with commenters on Patch.

Readers have aired out complaints with the project in the comments section on several articles and on Facebook across several months.

Many residents believe that the project does not fit in with the character of the village greens.

"The greens have been important recreational anchors that were part of the original planning by Levitt and have served to enhance the quality of life and preserve and enhance property values.," said user Maureen Canty, commenting on an article on the project from February. "... A 100-resident facility and the ensuing traffic congestion and noise pollution will destroy the North Village Green, degrade the ambiance of the park and is another classic example (along with the absolutely unsightly store fronts on Wolcott Road) of poor planning."

User Mac commented on the same article. He supported the development of the lot, but is concerned about the current proposal's size, which is currently planned to be three stories.

"A three-story complex of that square footage in the middle of a residential area is concerning," he said. "The traffic and more specifically parking on the street could be dangerous and make the area extremely congested."

Several people also brought up concerns about the building's size at recent Levittown Property Owners Association (LPOA) meetings, worrying that the building will block out sunlight and stick out in the neighborhood.

Attorney Bill DiConza, who represents the developers, said in an article last week that the developers planned to make the building three stories in order to preserve the streetscape of the lot. He said that the developers would listen if residents had concerns with the size.

"If, in the end, three stories is deemed to be too tall, then a lower, more spread out building with less open lawn space can be developed," he said. "Mr. Mormando does not seek to do with his property anything that would negatively impact the neighborhood."

Several people attending recent LPOA meetings also had concerns about area traffic, especially since a church is slated to open soon in the same area. 

LPOA vice president Andy Booth reminded attendees of the March meeting that the organization opposed the construction of the church.

Booth said that the application was defeated by the town and the state, but was overturned in federal court because federal law states that "no one has the power to overturn a church."

Several users wrote that the project would be a better fit elsewhere. One commonly recommended location was the former KMart site at the corner of Gardiners Avenue and Hempstead Turnpike.

"I would love to see assisted living in the old TSS shopping center, right in the middle of everywhere," said user lynn. "Public transportation is ideal. Maybe a cross over to the shopping center across the street."

User Lou Stein suggested in the comments of the initial article about the project that the building should go at "the old HSBC site instead of a residential area." Since that time, CVS has announced their intention to move into the former HSBC building.

DiConza said that he and the developers want to construct a building that the community can support.

"This is not some outside developer seeking to maximize his profits," he said. "If that were the case, the property would have been sold and developed commercially many years ago. This is a community asset and will be developed as such. We look forward to working with the community to this end."