Town of Hempstead ‘actively pursues’ park district for Woodmere Club

A report that is expected to provide the Town of Hempstead the financial cost of creating either a park district or a town park on Woodmere Club land is projected to be completed by the end of the month, according to Councilman Bruce Blakeman.

Blakeman said that he and Councilman Anthony D’Esposito have teamed up to oversee what Blakeman called “an option.” “I’m not saying we are going to do that,” he said, referring to purchasing the 118 acres and making the property a park district or town park. “We will meet with the villages Woodsburgh, Lawrence and Cedarhurst have discussions,” Blakeman added. “I understand they will have their own proposals. Then we will have a proposal that would work. We are closer, but not there yet.”

Bought in 2017 for just over $9 million, the Woodmere Club is scheduled to close in the fall of 2021. It is thought the owners Efrem Gerszberg and Robert Weiss will build residential housing on the site of the 109-year-old club.

“The Town of Hempstead is entitled to study a park district,” Weiss said, noting that Frederick P. Clark Associates of upstate Rye is analyzing the creation of a park district. “According to law, any purchase must be at the fair market value of our proposed as-of-right 284-single family residential lot project.” No official plans have been announced.

Deputy Town Attorney Charles Kovit said that the town is “actively pursuing” creating a special park district. “The main goal would be keeping it as an active golf course,” he said, noting that buying the land would require a mandatory public referendum.

The difference between a park district and a town park is that a park district would involve only the people who live in the immediate area of the site, as those residents would be bearing the cost, and a town park would be open to all. Kovit said that the town would pay “fair market” value for the land based on an appraisal. Should the town buy the club property the purchased would be financed by bonds — the town would borrow the money.

“There is no point in negotiating unless we are backed up by solid numbers of other golf course on Long Island,” Kovit said. “The main theme is we originally thought of using the zoning authority as way to fully address the situation, and it’s still on the table as we are actively seeking a park district.”

Saying that town officials are strongly taking into consideration what residents said about the volume of traffic on the roads, especially traffic on Broadway, the major roadway where the club is located, Kovit said the town is not looking to exacerbate the traffic patterns and are aiming to preserve the property.

“We are studying the operating cost from an environmental and traffic standpoint and are cognizant how this could affect Hewlett residents,” he said. Broadway also runs through that hamlet. “We are expeditiously and methodically moving towards a referendum in the near future.”

Pending lawsuit
In November of 2016, the town enacted a 180-day building moratorium for privately owned golf courses. The town has extended the ban several times and extended it another 90 days. In May, Gerszberg and Weiss filed a lawsuit claiming the town moratorium is illegal. Kovit said he couldn’t comment on the legal action, but did say: “We are actively defending our moratorium.” Oral arguments were heard and a decision is expected by the end of the year or early 2019, according to sources.