Town OKs rezoning in Oceanside for condos

The Hempstead Town board has unanimously approved a petition from South Nassau Communities Hospital and the EPH Group seeking to rezone two adjacent properties in Oceanside to build 48 residential condominium units.

The decision at Tuesday night's board meeting allows the hospital-owned properties on Oceanside Road and on Hargale Road near Mott Street to be rezoned from light manufacturing to residential. The EPH Group is in contract with the hospital to purchase the parcels, but the agreement is subject to getting all the required town approvals for the project, said Mark Hamer, the Jericho-based development company's owner.

The developer plans to construct two 2 1/2-story buildings containing 16 units on the first parcel, a vacant 42,700-square-foot plot with fair market value of $846,200, according to the Nassau County Assessment Department. The property was sold to the hospital for $500,000 in 2009.

The EPH Group proposes building four 2 1/2-story buildings with 32 units on the second parcel, a 71,499-square-foot plot with fair market value of $2.79 million; it was bought by the hospital for $5 million in 2003. The parcel has a one-story building that was an automobile repair facility.

Each condo unit would have two bedrooms and two bathrooms, Hamer said. "We are going to attract first-time home buyers and others, who are looking for a short commute to the city," said Hamer, adding that his company has another 68-condo development in Oceanside.

The development company needs a parking variance because it's proposing 96 parking spaces; town code requires 112 parking spaces for a development of that size. The company must also submit site plans to the town's building department for approval, Hamer said.

But Oceanside resident Charles Giordano, who opposes the project, said he worries the condos could cause more traffic in the area.

He added that he wasn't surprised the board voted in favor of the rezoning change because last month it approved a request from the hospital to rezone two properties from residential to business to build parking lots. The decision came despite opposition from many community residents at the hearing.

"If you go down on Oceanside Road anywhere in the morning or in the late afternoon, traffic is horrendous," Giordano said. "You are going to build 48 condos so that means at least 48 more cars. We can't take the volume."

In response, Hamer said one of the properties was an industrial facility that generated traffic and he doesn't expect the condos would add any additional burden.

"We have taken steps and listened to the community to mitigate any potential traffic," Hamer said. "We don't think the traffic would be a real issue."