Oceanside parking sparks zoning battle

A parking shortage around South Nassau Communities Hospital has sparked a war between nearby residents and the Oceanside facility.

The hospital purchased two adjacent residential properties to build two parking lots in an effort to reduce the number of employees parking on surrounding residential streets.

But many residents oppose those plans, which require a zoning change, saying their property values will decline and employees won't use the lots.

"We need some common-sense planning," resident Charles Giordano said at a Hempstead Town board hearing last week, suggesting the hospital instead build a parking garage. "If you change the zoning, you are doing a huge disservice to our community."

The hospital is seeking a zoning change from residential to business for the Washington Avenue properties. Town board approval is necessary before they can be turned into parking lots. The board made no decision last week.

The hospital now has 1,087 parking spaces. Officials want to construct an additional 79 employee parking spaces on the two lots, and another 20 at another property already zoned commercial on the north side of Merrick Road, said hospital president Joseph A. Quagliata.

Quagliata said the hospital also will lease 150 parking spots in a Rockville Centre municipal lot on Sunrise Highway, starting Jan. 1.

"We have made good-faith efforts to be good neighbors," he said at the meeting, adding the hospital has 435 patient beds and about 700 employees working during peak times.

But some of more than 100 residents at the public hearing complained that hospital employees have hit their cars, gotten into altercations with them, and left medical garbage outside their homes. They claimed employees park on the streets because smoking is not permitted on hospital property.

"You can build as much parking lots as you want, but they are still going to park in front of our homes," said Patrice Derise-Stein, 54.

Garden City attorney Kevin P. McDonough, who represented the hospital at the hearing, said in response that South Nassau is "constantly encouraging employees to park in our lots" and "to be courteous to residents."

"We can't prevent people from parking on public streets, but we can create additional parking," he said.

Other residents claimed the local school district and the town would lose thousands of tax dollars and their property values would decrease if the parking lots are built.

But, Quagliata said, "there is no evidence to support that this hospital would diminish anyone's property values."

Several residents claimed the hospital paid $10,000 to two residents for the diminished value of their homes in return for their support for rezoning. McDonough confirmed a settlement agreement with the Northeast Civic & Taxpayers Association of Oceanside New York but didn't address the amount, and declined to provide details citing a nondisclosure agreement.

Frank DeResto, 46, a 14-year Washington Avenue resident, said, "They are taking baby steps of destroying this neighborhood one house at a time."