Final public hearing on city’s master plan

At the second and final public hearing on Glen Cove’s “smart growth” comprehensive plan, the atmosphere was charged with anticipation. Many Glen Covers eagerly awaited the chance to voice their opinions on the city’s future development. The new comprehensive plan, developed with the assistance of Manhattan consulting firm BFJ Planning, aims to address future development, infrastructure, and services in Glen Cove. Funded by grants from New York’s state and environmental conservation departments, the plan comes after a decade-long gap, with the last update having been made in 2009.
The plan will take into account the changes that have occurred in recent years, including large-scale redevelopment in the downtown and waterfront areas, as well as changes in the commercial real estate market resulting from the pandemic. It will also address the population growth from 2010 to 2020. The city’s population increased by 5.2 percent, to just under 30,000 in a 10-year period.
Frank Fish, a founding principal of BFJ Planning, opened the hearing by emphasizing the importance of public input. “This plan needs to be your plan,” he stated, assuring attendees that their comments would be considered in the final draft. Fish’s statement set the tone for the evening, as residents prepared to discuss their hopes and concerns for Glen Cove’s future.
Grace Slezak, one of the first to speak, expressed frustration with the plan’s extensive and general nature.
“I’ve been reading through this comprehensive master plan, and I would like to know more specifically, what changes are there from the 2010 plan to this plan?” she asked.

Grace noted that the previous plan had detailed specifics about the waterfront, Glen Cove Mansion, and various overlay zones, which she found lacking in the current document.
Ann Fangmann, the executive director and contracting officer for the IDA explaining that the 2009 plan had indeed been more specific, but the goal this time was different.
“That plan was somewhat criticized after the fact for making very specific zoning recommendations that were easier to enact as a result of the plan,” Fangmann said. “This time, the decision was made to avoid such specificity, focusing instead on a broader framework.”
This approach, she noted, was influenced by feedback from the public and the City Council, who wanted to ensure that any new projects would be evaluated individually rather than being preemptively fast-tracked.
Marsha Silverman elaborated on this point, explaining that the 2009 plan had effectively circumvented the standard zoning process. “There were specific applications in front of agencies in the city,” she said, “and then the plan was built to basically build those into our zoning.”
Silverman added this had led to changes without adequate public notice. The new plan, by being more general, aimed to preserve the integrity of the standard zoning and planning procedures, ensuring that future projects would undergo proper scrutiny.
John Perrone praised the new comprehensive plan, but raised a critical issue: water production. “With all of the buildings going on, we really need to have a finite plan for increasing our water production,” he said.
Perrone also suggested exploring hybrid-housing models like first-time homebuyer co-ops instead of solely focusing on apartments, to adapt to the increasing trend of people working from home.
“We’ve always had this concept if you build it, they will come, and that hasn’t necessarily been the case,” Peter Budraitis said, adding that Glen Cove already had the largest share of high-density housing in the county, with significant development not necessarily translating into the expected influx of people.
He also highlighted the socio-economic challenges, noting that the city’s poverty levels had risen, and the average household income had decreased. Budraitis urged that the plan address these issues more thoroughly.
Koorosh Leibowitz, while acknowledging the challenges to the plan, struck a hopeful note. He viewed the planning process as a pivotal moment for Glen Cove.
“This is an exciting time in Glen Cove history, because we’re going through this planning process, unlike any previous plan,” he said.
To view the comprehensive plan, visit: GlenCoveComprehensivePlan.com