Discussion begins on plans for former NYAW property

The members of the 325 Committee have begun the process of converting the recently purchased 325 Prospect Ave. building into a center for Village of Sea Cliff activities.

The two and a half acre property had been owned by New York American Water. Following a lawsuit filed in 2017 by the village against NYAW, the village acquired the property in 2021 for $540,000.

The property consists of an office building and an old diesel pump station, both historically significant examples of early 20th century industrial architecture. It also boasts a large open yard and overlooks the waterfront.

Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the village was unable to do anything with the property. However, now that the pandemic has abated, Sea Cliff Mayor Elena Villafane said the project is a top priority for the village.

“The purchase of 325 was an action of generational significance,” Villafane said. “This project is not just for the people here, but for generations to come.”

Villafane introduced the members of the 325 Committee to Sea Cliff at Tuesday’s village meeting.

The members include Eileen Krieb, a lifelong resident of Sea Cliff, who served on numerous municipal committees, and was commissioner of Parks and Recreation for Nassau County under former County Executive Laura Curran.

Matthew Nichols, an art historian, writer and independent curator has also joined the committee. He formerly taught at Christie’s Education, a graduate art school in New York. According to the mayor, Nichols’ role will be to bring the perspective of the arts into the public space.

Stephanie Sobel, the former president of FullBeauty Brand and former board chair of Dress for Success Worldwide, is also on the committee. Sobel also currently serves as president for Blue Sunflower, a non-profit charity organization which helps other non-profits organize and promotes events.

The last member introduced was former village Trustee Kevin McGilloway. A mainstay of Sea Cliff government for many years, McGilloway had gone the day before to his last meeting as a village trustee. He has also served as deputy mayor and chair of the Zoning Board of Appeals.

The committee will oversee the project of renovating and reintroducing the 325 Prospect property to the village. It will reach out to the community and gain an understanding of its opinions and needs regarding the property’s utilization.

To this end, the meeting also served as the committees first chance to hear from Sea Cliff residents in person. They had already sent out a survey and a video in the days leading up to the meeting, which asked for people’s thoughts and suggestions for the property. The committee had received 299 surveys by the day of the meeting.

The bulk of the meeting consisted of questions and opinions from the large crowd gathered in Village Hall, ranging from queries about the origins and history of the structure to thoughts on how to best use the property to benefit the community.

Several people asked whether the property could be used as a dog park. Fred Eisenstein, suggested the committee test the idea to see if it could be implemented long term.

Diana Lemieuxsaid said she didn’t want to see the property become a dog park because she was concerned about waste management and safety for the dogs.

“I do know about dogs and dog parks, since I lived in the city for a million years,” Lemieux said. “The fast curve on Prospect is a real danger to our dogs.”

The committee has promised to continue to meet, gather information and update the public frequently. To contact them directly, email 325@seacliff/ny.gov.