Show of “Lighthouse” support
If there were going to be a groundswell of widespread opposition to the “Lighthouse Project” proposed by Islanders owner Charles Wang and developer Scott Rechler, it would have materialized at the public scoping hearing held last night by the Town of Hempstead as part of the state environmental quality review process. But the tone of the meeting was conciliatory rather than contentious as a parade of speakers expressed their concerns about a project many seem to regard as inevitable.
At times, the meeting verged on a pep rally as supporters praised the way Wang and Rechler have laid the groundwork for approval by seeking community input well in advance of filing plans for the $2 billion development. Islanders Hall of Famer Mike Bossy was greeted by cheers when he spoke of the importance to the success of the team of renovating Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum, and some speakers expressed their fear the Islanders might move if the project isn’t approved and Wang is forced to sell the franchise.
Most of those who raised concerns about the impact on traffic, water quality and how the affordable housing component will be handled said they support the project but simply want to be part of the process of moving it forward. There wasn’t even a single objection to a design that calls for two iconic towers housing a luxury hotel, high-end condos and office space.
If approval were based on this hearing alone, it would look like smooth sailing for the Lighthouse Project. But as any hockey player can tell you, it’s important to keep your head up because it’s the blindside hit that will get you every time. In this case, Wang and Rechler primarily must worry about the possibility of partisan political wrangling throwing up a roadblock to their plans to break ground in July of next year.
Nassau County Executive Tom Suozzi is solidly on board, but Town of Hempstead Supervisor Kate Murray looms as a potential obstacle and this is her bailiwick. Suozzi is a Democrat, and Murray is a Republican. There’s no denying the economic boon the Lighthouse Project represents in terms of jobs and tax revenue it will generate. But a project that envisions 2,300 housing units, retail shops and a hotel and convention center along with a massive underground parking garage is bound to have a major impact on local traffic, water supply and sewage.
The question for Murray and the Town of Hempstead is whether the economic incentive is strong enough to seek solutions to the environmental problems or whether they will use those concerns to derail Wang and Rechler’s vision of building a kind of Emerald City on the barren Coliseum parking lot.
There’s no telling yet what the major issues will be as far as the Hempstead Town Council is concerned, but for members of various community groups that spoke last night, the affordable housing crisis on Long Island and the availability of local job opportunities ranked at the top of the list. Twenty percent of the housing units, approximately 460 overall, are dedicated to affordable housing.
But they can be spread throughout the community rather than located on-site. One spokesperson for the developers said that decision is not up to them but will be determined by the political process. If they are located off-site, it’s uncertain whether that would reduce the number of housing units on-site, but that’s doubtful. Some speakers proposed redeveloping “blighted” areas in Hempstead, but more seemed to favor on-site affordable housing.
The question of how “affordable housing” is defined on Long Island was raised by a sociology professor at nearby Hofstra University. Median home prices, he said, aren’t as accurate in an inflated housing market as a median income standard for qualification. But by any definition, affordable housing is the carrot that could drive this development.
As one single woman under the age of 30 told the panel, “You have the power to get us out of our parents’ basements.” Another local mother of three daughters, playing on the slogan for the project, said she hoped to one day be able to “meet them at the Lighthouse.” Still another woman, representing a group she called “Yes In My Backyard,” said middle-income people who want to work on Long Island, such as teachers and firefighters, need an affordable place to live.
The next step in the process comes in July when the environmental review panel presents its findings. At that point, Wang and Rechler should begin to get a reading on whether Murray and the Hempstead Town Council are going to support the Lighthouse Project in their backyard or not.