After six years of litigation, zoning disputes and community opposition, the Town of Hempstead has reached a settlement with developers Efrem Gerszberg and Robert Weiss, owners of the Woodmere Club, that clears the way for construction of more than 150 age-restricted apartments on the club’s property — bringing an end to one of the most contentious land-use battles in the Five Towns in recent memory.
The settlement was finalized at the Hempstead Town Board meeting on Dec. 9, when officials said the agreement strikes a balance between protecting the character of the communities surrounding the club and avoiding costly litigation that could have resulted in a far larger development.
“This settlement is a home run for open space in the Town of Hempstead,” Brian Devine, the town’s director of communications, wrote in an email. “Furthermore, (it) puts an end to needless and costly litigation, all while simultaneously securing community benefit funds for the surrounding areas.”
Gerszberg and Weiss first proposed residential development of the Woodmere Club, a private country club off Broadway, near Peninsula Boulevard, not long after they purchased it in 2017. In 2019 they filed suit against the town, after it enacted zoning changes that restricted residential development on the property, arguing that the town’s actions unfairly diminished the site’s value.
That lawsuit set off years of legal wrangling and stalled proposals, with multiple court proceedings and hearings leaving the future of the property uncertain. Town attorneys repeatedly warned that if the case went to trial and the club prevailed, the town could be forced to allow a much denser, less restricted housing project or pay significant damages.
Under the settlement, the town agreed to permit 155 rental apartments, restricted to those ages 55 and older. Town officials emphasized that the age restriction was a critical component of the deal, significantly reducing potential impacts on nearby school districts and easing concerns about overcrowding.
Gerszberg did not respond to the Herald’s request for comment.
Village of Lawrence Mayor Samuel Nahmias said that the town took into consideration the 119 acres of club property that fall within the village limits, which will not be part of the development.
“Every parcel of this thing is going to be built in the Town of Hempstead,” Nahmias said. “Everything else is being left alone. 119 acres will be preserved.”
Nahmias said that if the village had lost the lawsuit, there would have been over 300 homes, and as many as four vehicles per home.
“You would have had 1,200 cars,” he said. “. . . I believe this deal picked the lesser of the damage, and when you build these condos, the older residents of the community have a place to go.”
The agreement limits the scale of the project, compared with earlier concepts discussed during the litigation. Previous proposals, noted at past hearings, included hundreds of units, with no age restrictions. Those plans drew fierce opposition from area homeowners, who cited traffic congestion, the potential strain on infrastructure and the loss of open space.
Paris Popack, a community activist and former Lawrence trustee, questioned Nahmias about the settlement at the village board meeting on Dec. 11, and noted environmental factors that she said should have been accounted for.
“I want the village to be aware of what was suggested by an urban planner concerning the environmental impact,” Popack said. “It’s really important that these things were taken into consideration. I don’t know if they were before they passed everything.”
Nahmias responded that her concerns are best to be submitted to the Town of Hempstead as the construction and work area is located in their jurisdiction. The reaminder of the land in Lawrence is open as a preserved space.
An environmental impact statement should have been completed, she added, before the settlement was approved. “Testing all the traffic that’s going to come out of our parallel roads in our neighborhood should have been done as well,” Popack said.
The debate over developing the Woodmere Club property has dominated public meetings for years, with residents packing hearing rooms and organizing opposition groups. Many argued that the club had long served as a buffer of green space, and said they worried that residential development would permanently alter the neighborhood’s character.
At the meeting approving the settlement, reactions were mixed.
“We fought this for years,” Woodmere resident Susan Feldman said. “I still don’t like it, but I understand why the town felt boxed in.”
Others were more critical, arguing that the town should have continued to fight the lawsuit. “This is a loss for the community,” Cedarhurst resident Michael Levine said. “Once you build apartments, you can’t take that back.”
Supporters of the agreement pointed to the growing need for senior housing in Nassau County, particularly in the Five Towns, where longtime residents often find few options for downsizing without leaving the area.
“This allows seniors to stay near their families, synagogues and familiar neighborhoods,” Lawrence resident Rachel Stein said. “That matters.”
