The Town of North Hempstead approved a waterfront moratorium in Port Washington from Dolphin Green to the Town Dock on Tuesday with the support of most residents in attendance.
“All we’re doing tonight is propose we take a pause and not consider… any pending or future applications for sixth months,” Town Councilwomen Dina DeGiorgio said.
The moratorium, which would last 180 days, would prevent the approval of any building, demolition or special permits in the area that stretches from Dolphin Green to the Town Dock between Main Street and Manhasset Bay.
But many were still upset that things were allowed to get this far.
“Once upon a time, when I moved into [my] house it had water views,” said Nancy Costenoble, holding up a photo of her now-blocked view of the bay from her home. “Who do I sue to get the value of my property back?”
The largest building in the stretch covered by the moratorium is the Knickerbocker, which contains a hotel and condominiums for adults over the age of 62. Constructed in 2015, the three-story building was a source of frustration for Costenoble and others residents.
“I’m very familiar with the Knickerbocker Hotel and I’ve been a beneficiary of those using the hotel,” said William Gordon, who runs Long Island Boat Rentals, one of the properties in the area covered by the moratorium. “But I do think it was jammed in and parking is inadequate.”
Those frustrations with the approval process for the Knickerbocker led many to support a freeze on development along the bay.
Among those who spoke in support of the moratorium was Mindy Germain, the executive of Residents Forward, a community activist group that until recently was known as Residents for a More Beautiful Port Washington.
“The recommendations that will be produced by such an effort will impact future tourism, our economy and the vibrancy and resiliency of our community’s waterfront,” she said. “It will shape how residents and visitors experience Port’s waterfront for generations to come.”
One resident was less enthused by both the moratorium and its sponsor, DeGiorgio.
He said that the Knickerbocker was on private property and that property owners were being punished. He also accused DeGiorgio of not being forthcoming.
“You just said there are no pending applications in the waterfront district, which is not true… Louie’s has an application for a rooftop party bar,” he said. “So how do we trust that the board is going to do the right thing when you just lie?”
The man left the room after he finished speaking, so he missed the town’s rebuttal.
Town Attorney Elizabeth Botwin said the application from Louie’s was an exception to the moratorium because it was an alteration that does not result in a new commercial use.
“The gentleman has left, but maybe I should find him and correct his misstatement of the facts,” DeGiorgio said.
