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Partly Cloudy Village of Valley Stream approves zoning changes
Residents wary about proposed Merrick Road, Central Avenue apartments
UPDATE: Public hearings on the proposals for the N. Central Avenue and Merrick Road properties will be held on Jan. 6 at 7:30 p.m. at Village Hall. A previous story reported that a meeting would be held on Jan. 28, but the hearing date had not yet been announced. The meeting on Jan. 28 will not pertain to the aforementioned properties.
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The Valley Stream Village Board of Trustees approved zoning changes on Dec. 15 for two locations where developers want to build apartments at sites previously limited to commercial use only.
The board unanimously approved mixed-use zoning for 49 N. Central Ave., where the burned-out Party Boutique sits since a fire closed it in February. A developer is proposing a five-story, 36-unit luxury apartment complex for the property. The board also approved the change for 420 W. Merrick Road, a commercial office building whose owner wants to turn it into eight apartments. That vote was 4-1, with Trustee Dermond Thomas in opposition.
“I think more can be done to make the property successful as a commercial site,” Thomas said. “The building does not have an elevator, and I think more can be done to help rent that site.”
Dominick Minerva, attorney for the Comet Realty Holding Corporation, which owns the West Merrick Road property, said the change is being made because the location is unfit for commercial development. “Right now, the owners of the building are forced to rent at far under assumed market value because they cannot find any other tenants,” he said. “Typically, for a commercial property such as this, it can be rented at $18 to $24 per square foot. Instead, it’s being rented at $12 per square foot. With high-end apartments such as these [being proposed], it’s anticipated they could be rented for as much as $30 per square foot.”
About 20 residents attended the meeting. Edmond Knightly, a 22-year resident of South Waldinger Street who lives near 420 W. Merrick Road, spoke against the zoning changes. He said he was concerned about increased traffic and the kind of rentals the property would offer.
Knightly also expressed concern that the project could have larger implications for flexible zoning regulation. “It sets a dangerous precedent if landlords can cut up a building and just turn it into apartments,” he said. “In the future, if gas stations or other commercial buildings struggle, developers will think they just can put in more apartments. I think this would be very negative for Valley Stream.”
