Great Neck synagogue expansion approved

The North Hempstead Town Board has voted to approve a site plan for the expansion of a Great Neck synagogue -- with restrictions.

The action Tuesday by the board clears the way for the Babylonian Jewish Center, a 13-year-old synagogue with 125 families as members, to construct a social hall, two classrooms, a lobby and a library at Great Neck Road and Clair Street.

The synagogue's expansion plans have been the subject of concern by neighbors, who have said that members and guests driving to the synagogue have congested nearby residential streets.

After several meetings with synagogue officials, residents and town officials, the town arrived at a series of restrictions tacked on to the synagogue's site plan that met with cautious approval by some neighbors.

The synagogue will be required to:

Hire a licensed valet service for all social events at which more than 100 guests are expected, and to ensure there are enough attendants to park and move the cars.

Contract with the owner of a nearby parcel of land for overflow parking (if that agreement has ended, then events in the social hall would be limited to 170 participants).

Inform its members that the valet parking must be used and that attendees should not park in residential streets.

In addition, only members will be allowed to use the social hall for functions, the synagogue will not create a full-time school at the site and the kitchen will only be a prep kitchen.

The synagogue pledged to hold a general membership meeting, open to the public, at which Supervisor Jon Kaiman and Councilwoman Lee Seeman would speak to congregants about the restrictions.

"We will follow up on enforcement to make sure this commitment is followed," Kaiman said.

At Tuesday's town board meeting, Seeman thanked the parties for "their hard work, their earnestness and their diligence in bringing about many compromises and agreements to create positive solutions."

Synagogue officials have said the expansion is needed to better accommodate social functions and to obviate the need for the synagogue to erect a temporary tent in its parking lot to handle the crowd. Outdoor tents would be prohibited once the social hall is up and running.