Friday, December 7, 2018
Vol. 95, No.11
FOUNDED 1923
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LOCALLY OWNED AND EDITED
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Pages 11 & 13
Cozy up PAGE 24 n Senator welcomed PAGE 3
School District urged to strike tax deal with apartment developer
SINGING IN THE CAPITAL
BY RIKKI N. MASSAND
The Garden City Friends of Music recently donated funds that will allow vocal music students to travel to Washington D.C. in March. Above, the choir performing in Philadelphia. See page 36
Will Village tennis facility be rented out? BY RIKKI N. MASSAND
At the monthly meeting of the village’s Board of Commissioners for Recreation and Cultural Affairs (Rec. Commission) held Wednesday November 28, the board discussed marketing of the Garden City Pool and Tennis enterprise operations, plus renting out the tennis center to non-residents. Village Department Head for Recreation and Parks Kevin Ocker stated that recently there’s been none to very little play booked on the indoor
tennis courts from Friday afternoon/evenings through Sundays. “With regard to tennis, the Commission has had conversations in the past about marketing the down times. We still are experiencing less on use Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. We want to at least propose for the Commission’s consideration the establishment of a non-resident rate, in effect and limited for these times, for rental of the facilities. We are in the stage of getting the discussion underway with Commissioners’ feedback, as
one of the roles this Commission has is to establish Rec. fees and usage policies for facilities,” he said. Ocker explained the reason to re-establish the nonresident rates for renting the tennis courts, “because we would not be displacing any village resident(s). We (the Rec. department) would not sell court time if a resident booked it or told us they’re ready to book it.” The tennis facility in Garden City See page 41
Former Village of Garden City trustee Thomas Lamberti spoke at a recent school board meeting about the 150-apartment development approved for 555 Stewart Avenue, and its potential for getting tax breaks from either the Town of Hempstead or Nassau County -- an issue the Board of Education has scrutinized since spring. Lamberti spoke about the Fair Housing Compliance Officer, Anthony LaPinta, for the Village of Garden City, and his comments from a report regarding the municipal zoning change approved by the Village Board this summer. Lamberti spoke about the allocation of affordable housing units, with 10% of the 150 apartments so designated. He noted that the developer has committed to pay full village taxes through a PILOT (Payment In Lieu of Taxes) while stating there would not be such a guarantee for the Garden City Public Schools portion of taxes over the next two decades. Lamberti read the Board of Trustees’ official resolution on the approval, with the knowledge that “the village will be made whole,” and deduced that the IDA application process was outlined already, although there is not any procedure or hearing scheduled as of December. “The applicant has agreed to conditions which would hold the Village harmless for any loss of tax revenues in the event that such IDA may find and approve a PILOT -then it goes on to say that service agreement will be enacted after the IDA has acted…..I believe the developer will go before the IDA and will tell them they cannot build this project without PILOTs. He could apply for that with the village, Nassau County and the school district and then he can enter into a side agreement to provide the village with the amount (for village taxes). After there is guaranteed tax relief granted from the IDA the developer has a side agreement with the village?” Lamberti said. He added that the resolution from the village contains wording about the developer offering the same type of relief to the Garden City school district. That led Lamberti to tell the school board that it’s the Village Board of Trustees who collectively outlined a way for the district See page 40
"Mama Mia" a success at Garden City HS PAGES 44-45 Community Church Christmas Tree sale PAGE 20