Community reaction mixed to draft environmental report on proposed $130M Port Washington project 

Local stakeholders descended on North Hempstead Town Hall on Wednesday in support and opposition of the draft environmental impact statement from developers of a proposed 176-unit luxury apartment building in Port Washington.

Nashville, Tennessee-based Southern Land Company is proposing a seven-story, multifamily dwelling and a public marina at 145 West Shore Rd. The estimated $130 million project would include up to $15 million to revitalize the waterfront, including replacing the sea wall, removing debris and disposing of contaminated soil. In July, the draft environmental impact statement was submitted to the town board.

Among the findings, the report said the proposed development will bring in about 378 residents with 14 school-age children. Ten major intersections in the area were analyzed and it was determined that the project would, when split by direction, result in one additional vehicle every two minutes traveling on West Shore Road, with no significant negative impacts to traffic. The study said domestic water and sewage usage would be about 46,650 gallons per day.

During the meeting, attended by more than 100 people, several residents said the project would negatively affect traffic, sewage, water supply and the environment. Some residents said they fear the project would set a precedent for other large developments.

Nicolas C. Rigano, an environmental attorney representing community groups, said the study was “grossly inadequate.”

“In the phase one environmental assessment, [it] really only identified primarily one environmental condition and that was related to petroleum,” Rigano said. “So, what they did in their phase two assessment is only look for petroleum contamination in the groundwork. They did not sample for PFAS [per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances] contamination, or TCE [Trichloroethylene], or PERC [Tetrachloroethylene].”

Rigano explained that those contaminants, which would affect the area’s groundwater, may have been a result of the site serving as a ship maintenance yard and later a sand and gravel storage facility.

Arin Lanis, who lives off of West Shore Road, said traffic is already a problem near the proposed site.

“There is no time of the day where I can come out of my driveway without bumping into a car coming downhill or uphill,” Lanis said.

Members of labor groups and unions spoke in support of the project.

“These are unequivocally local jobs for local peoples,” said Grant Newburger, a spokesman for the Building & Construction Trades Council of Nassau & Suffolk Counties. 

In a statement, Joseph Rossi, the developer’s Northeast director of acquisitions, said they’ll “address both legitimate questions and misinformation following the close of the public comment period.”

“We remain steadfast in our belief that our project will be a beneficial addition to the community in many ways,” Rossi said. “We look forward to continuing through the process and making the community benefits in our proposal a reality.”

The public record will remain open until Oct. 31, and comments can be submitted to planning@northhempsteadny.gov.