Broadway Subdivision Proposal Faces Backlash From Neighbors

LONG BEACH, NY. — The Long Beach planning board declined to vote on a subdivision proposal Thursday night that would have turned the vacant lot at 741 East Broadway into four subdivided lots, keeping public comment open until the next meeting on Jan. 8.

Among the reasons the board did not vote were a series of concerns raised by neighbors regarding traffic, noise, parking and the elimination of a community space.

Presenting before the board Thursday was Thomas McKevitt, special counsel at Sahn Ward Braff Coschignano, LLC, on behalf of The Cotie Corporation of New York City, which owns the lot. McKevitt explained that the developers were seeking to subdivide 741 East Broadway into four subdivisions. The lot stands on Broadway, between the intersections with Wilson Avenue and Coolidge Avenue.

“It’s come to the point where there will be some development on this property, the question is what kind of development is it going to be?” McKevitt asked.

Under the subdivision proposal, the lot would be divided into four sections: two lots on the north side of the property, measuring 47.5-feet long and 57-feet wide, totaling 2,707.5 feet each, and two southern lots. The southern lots would measure 42.5-feet long by 57-feet wide.

As far as what could potentially be built there in the future, McKevitt said Long Beach resident James Joyce had done some preliminary architectural work for the developers, and brought a basic plot plan and a proposed plot plan illustrating what development on the lot could look like.

“When you look at the proposed map, we’re looking at, right now, two semi-detached units,” McKevitt said. “One family in one, one family in the other, and, essentially, you’d have a common borderline of the properties, at that point. Again, we’re not married to that proposal, this is just a proposal at this time, something we’re contemplating for the development.”

While some discussion of what could be built took place, the planning board was only scheduled to vote on the subdivision Thursday night. Even if the board had approved the subdivision, construction at the site would need to go through site plan review, zoning board review and architectural review before breaking ground.

Even though no construction was on the agenda, residents of the president streets flanking 741 East Broadway took to the podium and raised several concerns about a project that multiple residents described as overdevelopment.

For Wilson Avenue resident Chris Cuzzo, concerns with the proposal included the noise caused by construction and the density that the new development would bring to the area.

“I’ve been on Wilson Avenue 15 years, it’s a real quiet block, a lot of old people on my end of the block,” Cuzzo said. “I’m a disabled vet, I don’t sleep well, and I’m not looking forward to 8 o’clock, ‘beep, beep,’ construction for two or three years. Four lots, that’s really squeezing it.”

To Wilson Avenue resident Karen Fitzpatrick, developing the vacant lot raises issues not just of overdevelopment, but of the elimination of a space residents currently use for recreation.

“My house is right next door to the lot…It’s just a lot where kids play in, people train their dogs, people teaching their kids how to ride bicycles, it’s used for other things. My personal opinion is we don’t need any more property,” Fitzpatrick said. “I’m not trying to have another person not make money, and stuff, however, there’s little kids that are growing up in the neighborhood using that parking lot. And there are people that use that parking lot to do things.”

Finally, for Wilson Ave. resident Kelly Snow, the lot represents an unsightly reminder of some of the issues Long Beach currently faces.

“Listen, it’s an eyesore. I mean, yes, I would love it to be a parking lot. It’s an eyesore. It’s been an eyesore for years,” Snow said. “But, just, it’s overdeveloped in Long Beach. There’s no parking, the schools are filling up…It doesn’t really fit the character. Even four lots, like I said, I would love something there, but, just, not overdevelopment. We have empty units in Long Beach, we have empty storefronts, we need to bring it back.

With the board deciding not to vote on the proposal Thursday, public comment on it will remain open until the Jan. 8 planning board meeting. Long Beach residents interested in giving public comment on the subdivision can do so by emailing RLynch@LongBeachNY.Gov, city officials said at the meeting. Once comment is submitted by email, it will become part of the record that the planning board considers in a future vote on the proposal.