Village of Port Washington North

The Thomson Property: Considering The Options

By STEVE COHEN

You may have read it elsewhere, but we wanted to give you a firsthand update on the Village Board of Trustees’ negotiations with Danaher Corporation, owner of Thomson Industries. The future of the 11-acre property at 2 Channel Drive, including the “Great Lawn” on Shore Rd., has been of great concern to the Board and residents alike. Our vision, consistent with the principles of smart growth, is focused on preserving open/recreational space for the village and the peninsula. We have particular interest in this property as represents the last large piece of land near the waterfront in Port North.

One recommendation of the recently completed Moratorium Commission was that the Village should be very aggressive in seeking to expand our open/recreational space. This smart growth policy – which is consistent with the Town of North Hempstead’s “Visioning” initiative – has guided our conversations.

Recently, the Village received a proposal from Danaher offering to exchange its 11-acre property for a parcel of less than 8 acres owned by the Village, which is located behind Mill Pond Acres, the new senior development. As part of this proposal, the Village would re-zone the parcel to allow for residential development of either 30 single-family homes or 40-45 luxury townhouses. While any potential development is always a trade-off, the Board’s initial reaction is that this could be a win/win for all parties concerned. Specifically:

The village and the peninsula preserve an additional 3-plus acres of open/ recreational space
The village obtains an 11-acre parcel – across from the waterfront in the center of Port North – in a much more desirable location than the 8-acre parcel
The 11-acre parcel – across from the soon-to-be revitalized waterfront “Baywalk Park” – would be ideal for a community Village Green, our Village Hall/ Club and other public open/recreational space
The Village’s ownership of this land will prevent any “bigbox” store from coming The Thomson Property: Considering The Options into our community – now or in the future
The reduced density of proposed development is consistent with smart growth.

The proposal is subject to environmental review and community feedback. As such, the Board has set a public hearing on the potential re-zoning of the 8-acre parcel for February 28th at Village Hall, where we are asking for your input and feedback on this proposed transaction.

If you have any questions or comments, please contact Steve Cohen at cohen@portwashingtonnorth.org.

The great lawn of the Thomson property off Shore Rd., in the center of Port North, would make an inviting Village Green.

(Printed in the Feb 2005 Newsletter)