The Port Washington Board of Education is seeking voter authorization to sell five acres of property located in the village of Sands Point, which will be used to reduce the tax levy in future years, officials said.
“The profit would go in to a reserve account which would be used over the next 10 years to reduce the tax levy,” Assistant Superintendent Mary Callahan said.
Callahan said the U.S. Navy gave the Sands Point property, known as the ‘Middle Neck Road parcel,’ to the Port Washington School District.
“The land has actually an interesting history because it was owned by the U.S. Navy. It was used by the Nay during World War two as an outpost to watch for German’s submarines on the coast of Long Island all because there were German submarines,” Callahan said. “After a specific period of time the Navy deeded that over to the school district without any restrictions.”
The property is located on the northern side of Middle Neck Road adjacent to the east side of the Sands Point Preserve entrance road, and Callahan said is just shy of five acres.
She said the property is zoned as residential property and if the buyer wants to use it for any other reason they would have to work with the Sands Point Board of Zoning Appeals.
Callahan said the land is only worth what the seller and buyer agree upon, but that it has been appraised at $2,000,000.
“My hope is that if the community authorizes the sale that the board would advertise the property and if a buyer or buyers could not come forward immediately then they might look to engage the services of a realtor,” Callahan said.
Laffey Fine Homes manager in Port Washington Kathy Chrystie said the school district would be better served by using the services of a local realtor.
Statistics show that a realtor always gets 13 to 16 percent higher on the price tag, she said.
“You’re going to do a lot better by going with a realtor,” Chrystie said. “It’ll drive the prices higher.”
“$2,000,000 is barely considered luxury these days,” she added. “They should have no problem selling the property.”
Residents will vote on the proposition along with the budget and school trustees on May 17 from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. in the Weber Elementary School multi-purpose room.
