Port Washington North Mayor Dishes On Movie Studio Plan

PORT WASHINGTON, NY — The mayor of Port Washington North called plans to build a massive movie studio "exciting" but acknowledged some compromises could be necessary in light of residents' concerns.

Films including "The Avengers," "The Amazing Spider-Man 2," and "The Bourne Legacy" were shot at Grumman Studios, a sound stage complex in Bethpage.

Parviz Farahzad, the developer of the studio, bought the former Publishers Clearing House headquarters building on Channel Drive in Port Washington five years ago and proposed converting the property into a smaller sister studio. Plans call for spending $15 million to raise the roof on a 100,000 square foot building to 65 feet and convert a 60,000-square-foot building into office space and storage, Newsday reported.

"Since I own and operate Grumman Studios, this is an ideal location for another studio on Long Island," Farahzad told the newspaper over the summer. He likes the location, noting it's near New York City and on the Port Washington Branch.

Some residents, however, have been apprehensive, particularly since the village limits buildings to 25 feet in height. Neighbor Paul DeLello told WLNY-TV this week he would not be pleased with a film studio.

"No, I would not be happy with a movie studio," DeLello said. "There’s really no need for it, if you ask me."

Others expressed concerns over the proposed height of the building. Longtime resident and former trustee and appeals board member Donald Hecht told Patch on Friday he read the news with "dismay and dread of the proposed plans," saying they would loom over the Soundview and Mill Pond Acres Homes.

"This 65 foot behemoth will aesthetically turn our residential neighborhoods into a commercial zone," Hecht said. "Further, it will cause the market value of nearby and all village homes the drastically crash."

Hecht called on village residents to form a committee to oppose rezoning the property to allow it to exceed 25 feet.

"I would also suggest that this committee explore the funding of legal action against the Village and the developer to halt this disfigurement of our Village and damage to its residents," Hecht said.

Bob Weitzner, mayor of the village, has told multiple media outlets the proposal is exciting. However, he did say the two sides are probably going to have to make concessions. The height proposal, for one, has not been approved, yet, and village officials are reportedly working with architects to minimize the impact to the community.

"A movie studio is exciting for us," Weitzner told WLNY-TV. "At the same time … it's blending the proposed use with the concerns of our residents and hopefully coming up with a compromise."

Village officials will wait for an environmental impact study to decide whether to move forward. Should they sign off on the proposal, the studio could reportedly open in about a year.