Wantagh Residents,

Mount Sinai South Nassau plans to convert the old Verizon building at 2020 Wantagh Avenue from an office building into a multi-specialty healthcare center.  

We are asking our Wantagh neighbors to sign this petition and show the Town of Hempstead's Board of Zoning and Appeals that we are not in favor of this large scale suburban project.   

MOUNT SINAI'S BZA HEARING IS SCHEDULED FOR APRIL 27TH @ 3:00 PM.  1 WASHINGTON STREET, HEMPSTEAD NY.  THERE IS FREE PARKING IN THE REAR PARKING LOT.  PLEASE COME DOWN AND PACK THE COURTHOUSE!

Mt Sinai's status as a non for-profit Hospital exempts them from general property taxes. More concerning is that they would also be exempt from Wantagh School Taxes.  The largest commercial building in Wantagh would not be contributing anything towards our schools (-$222,330 every year), Wantagh Public Library (-$8,000 every year), our Police Department (-$44,000 every year), and our Fire Department (-$17,000 every year).  With the latest school budget issues, the influx of tax money being generated would be a tremendous relief for teachers, administrative staff, sports, after school programs, and most importantly....our children.  According to lrv.nassaucountyny.gov, Verizon paid over $350,000 in taxes in 2016.  It also does not include the new assessed tax amount once they add in the 35 million dollar renovation.  

According to a Cameron Engineering traffic study from 2020, the current staffing projections call for 136 staff members (including 36 doctors), and an average projected 540 patients per day.  From our point of view, the impact on traffic could have a major impact on the immediate surrounding area and could create a ripple effect on the rest of the town and surrounding towns like Seaford and Bellmore.  Mt Sinai also has plans on expanding services, adding evening hours, and introducing office hours on Saturday.  So, the real number of cars could increase over time.  **Update** in their March 1st, 2022 Community Zoom Meeting, Their Senior Vice President of Communications said that the number of doctors will be 50.  The numbers keep growing.

They also included a list of towns they are hoping to pull patients from.  14 towns stretching from Roosevelt to Babylon with an estimated total population of 350,000!  Theoretically, an open invitation to our small town with a population of just over 18,000.

In 2020 Mount Sinai completed the purchase of two homes directly south of the facility for use as additional overflow parking even though Cameron Engineering clearly stated in their report that they had enough.  Mount Sinai will most likely be tearing these two homes down to satisfy the parking shortage determined by the TOH Bldg Department.  These two homes, once torn down, will also be taken off the tax roll.  

Our fear is that they could continue purchasing property as patient demand increases and turn our neighborhood into another Oceanside. This could lower the property value of your home, and might make Wantagh a less then desirable spot for potential home buyers.

The traffic study conducted and paid for by Mt Sinai in 2020 concluded that "the proposed change of (building) use would generate additional traffic, but there will be no noticeable changes to nearby intersections. These findings are completely inconceivable and based on comparable figures from their Greenlawn facility located in an industrial area of Suffolk County.  This traffic study was an unfair comparison between two completely different populated neighborhoods.  Wantagh is a much more densely populated neighborhood, 44% more dense to be exact (census.gov).  Meaning the number of people per square mile is 44% higher in Wantagh, then it is in Greenlawn.

This project will not fit the nature and character of Wantagh.  It threatens the suburban livelihoods that we pay extremely high taxes to enjoy.  A project of this magnitude belongs in an industrial area. We are asking for your support in stopping Mt Sinai from moving in and taking over our neighborhood.  A neighborhood that many of you grew up in, and chose to stay in.  We need to protect this town, we need to protect our schools, our children, our Fire and Police Departments and our suburban way of life.  Say No to Mount Sinai Wantagh!!