Vote deferred on Glen Cove piazza project

The Village Piazza mixed-use project for downtown Glen Cove hit a roadblock Tuesday night when the city Planning Board deferred a vote because of concerns over the developer's failure to purchase three structures on the site.

After a testy dialogue with the developer and his attorney, the board scheduled a special meeting for Aug. 10 at 7:30 p.m.

Developer Michael Puntillo said even if he cannot purchase and raze the three single-story buildings that house offices, he is interested in proceeding with the $60-million project to redevelop the 35-year-old Village Square -- mostly owned by his company -- with 142 apartments, 27,632 square feet of retail and a plaza deeded to the city.

But board chairman Thomas Scott said, "Some of the board members feel that if you are unable to purchase those buildings . . . it's not a piazza." He added, "We don't want to be put in the middle" of negotiations between Puntillo and the building owners. He said board approval without purchase of the three properties would give the developer unfair leverage in trying to make purchases.

Puntillo's attorney, Wayne Edwards, said Puntillo has been talking to the owners for almost two years, "writing numerous letters . . . and making them very reasonable offers. They have not responded." He said the board was putting Puntillo at a "great disadvantage." Either "the hundreds of thousands of dollars that my applicant has paid will go down the toilet," or he would be forced to purchase the properties "at an unreasonable price."

Scott reiterated, "It's not a piazza with those buildings there."

Puntillo conceded, "Of course it's not optimum," but even with them "the public space would, at a minimum, double to 10,000 square feet."

At the board hearing on the project last month, more than 100 people turned out. Most opposed the development.