Dear Concerned Neighbor,

It is time for us to take action. Please find an update on the development of the Woodmere Club, and how you can help with as little as 2 minutes of your time....We can make a difference and this process is far from over! 

As required by law and as expected, the developer has taken the initial first step of filing a preliminary major subdivision for the Woodmere Club property. The proposed name is Willow View Estates. We refer to it as “The Sixth Town”. The developer has proposed to subdivide the land into 285 single family lots based on current zoning in place in each of the municipalities! (Town of Hempstead 248, Lawrence 10, Woodsburgh 17 units entirely within the ten units that straddle both villages). The preliminary subdivision also depicts new roadways that would provide access to the subdivision from Broadway, Meadow Drive/Ivy Hill Road, Keen Lane/Railroad Avenue, Rutherford Lane, and Tulip Street. This development will change the complexity of the neighborhood. Prices of homes in the entire area will drop due to a massive influx of homes on the market and a lower quality of life. 

Last week, the NCPC (Nassau County Planning Commission) officially declared itself lead agency for the required environmental review under the NYS Environmental Quality Review Act (SEQRA). The NCPC then declared the proposal Type 1 (likely to have very significant environmental impacts) and issued a “positive declaration” requiring preparation of a full environmental impact statement. This is the most rigorous environmental review standard under SEQRA. The next step in the SEQRA process will be a public “scoping session” to determine the subject matters and parameters of the environmental review. The date for the scoping session has not yet been determined. Our attorney (Howard Avrutine) will be following up on that. It was also announced that this project now has its own website: https://www.nassaucountyny.gov/4717/Willow-View-Estates-Subdivision-SEQR?fbclid=IwAR07mSnsyvRfeE7IxHb7BBrfUXIoZvB_hmH_ktAuHdzmrs2y2NqafVG6DSU along with the proposed subdivision map (last page) as well as all documents in connection with the application. 

Keep in mind that this is just a preliminary application. It is by no means the final subdivision plan. No decisions have been made and no decisions can be made until full and comprehensive impact studies are completed by the developer.  We understand that there are many rumors floating around out there but the facts can be found on this website. Obviously this proposed scenario illustrates that developer is planning to build a “Sixth Town” to the maximum allowed by current law, which will significantly harm the Five Towns and neighboring Nassau County/ Town of Hempstead. Note that there is nothing in this plan that would benefit the greater Five Towns community. There is no dedicated public space or park planned. The addition of a “Sixth Town” with an influx of hundreds of homes would devastate our already densely populated neighborhood and congested roadways that feel more and more like a city than the suburbs we want for ourselves and our families. This will negatively affect traffic, parking, property values, taxes, the environment, flooding, utilities, emergency services, sanitation, and overall quality of life. Even if you don’t live anywhere near the golf course, this will negatively impact your quality of life. We plan to fight this as vigorously as possible and believe it is a winnable battle. 

At the same time we are awaiting a report from Councilman  Bruce Blakeman and Councilman Anthony D’esposito on the potential to create a district park rather than allowing the land to be developed. We have not received an update from them on this option since it was mentioned by them in May, 2018. We must continue to pressure all our elected officials to advocate on our behalf and do everything in their power to stop this nightmare from becoming a reality.

Please visit our website www.5TCA.org for important links to sign petitions, and to find out who you should write to and have your voice be heard. Most importantly, the Five Towns Civic Association needs your help. We can change the course if we stand together as one united group to oppose this disastrous plan. 

Here is what you can do to help:
We need donations to fund our legal team and marketing materials. You can find a link on our website to donate money via PayPal or you can send a check to 5TCA P.O. Box 462 Woodmere, NY 11598. The suggested donation is $500 but we appreciate any amount you give. We also need you all to write letters and get involved in any way you can.

Also it is very important to let our representatives and local newspapers our opinions. Numbers matter to them all so please please take the time and do it now. 

The following is a list of people you can write to. Choose one or choose them all.  

Lawrence- Mayor Alex Edelman mayor@villageoflawrence.org
Cedarhurst- Mayor Benjamin Weinstock mayor@cedarhurst.gov
Woodsburgh-Mayor Lee Israel mayor@woodsburghny.com
Hewlett Neck- Mayor Ross Epstein villages3@optimum.net
Hewlett Bay Park- Mayor Steven Kaufman villages3@optimum.net
Howard Kopel Legislative District 7- hkopel@nassaucountyny.gov 

You may also click here to sign his petition https://forms.nassaucountyny.gov/agencies/Legis/LD/07/wccpetition.php

Denise Ford Legislative District 4: dford@nassaucountyny.org 
TOH Supervisor Laura Gillen: lgillen@tohmail.org
TOH Councilman Bruce Blakeman: dblakeman@tohmail.org
TOH Councilman Anthony D’Esposito: adesposito@tohmail.org

PLEASE NOTE that Councilmen Bruce Blakeman and Anthony D’Esposito have promised us a study on the feasibility of purchasing the land or acquiring it through eminent domain and turning the land into a district park. They have been silent in this since May, 2018. We must hold them accountable for the promises they have made to us. Write to them and demand more transparency, more open process and more community meetings to address this option before its too late. Remember, these people work for you - YOU voted them into office and you have the ability to vote them out of office too. While these two councilmen represent the Five Towns, all the council members have a vote in any future zoning changes within the Town of Hempstead. 

Therefore, you should also write to the rest of the TOH council members;
TOH councilman Edward Ambrosino eambrosino@tohmail.org
TOH councilman Dennis Dunne ddunnesr@tohmail.org
TOH Councilwoman Erin King Sweeney ekingsweeney@tohmail.org
TOH Councilwoman Dorothy Goosby dgoosby@tohmail.org 

You should also write to:
Nassau County Executive Laura Curran lcurran@nassaucountyny.gov
Sean Sallie, Deputy Commissioner ssallie@nassaucountyny.gov  
NCPC (Nassau County planning Commission) jperrakis@nassaucountyny.gov Ask him to forward your letter to each of the members of the commission. This is the agency that created the above mentioned website and will be overseeing the entire project. 

Also contact the local newspapers :
5TJT: editor@5tjt.com 
The Jewish Home: editor@fivetownsjewishhome.com
The Jewish Week: editor@jewishweek.org

Please forward this email to your friends and neighbors and anyone else who wants to be informed and involved. As always, 5TCA is always looking for volunteers and donations, so please let us know if you have a profession, skill, talent or time to help us. 

TOGETHER WE CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE.
 
Thank you
Mario Alex Joseph
Peter Stein
Presidium, Five Towns Civic Association 
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