Oceanside Jewish Center town home plan moves a step closer to reality with zoning change

A plan to build 59 town houses on the site of Oceanside Jewish Center moved forward Tuesday, as the Hempstead Town Board approved a zoning change that would allow multifamily housing on the site.

The condo development, Fieldstone at Oceanside, would offer two-story townhouses, including 45 two-bedroom units and 14 three-bedroom units on 3.9 acres, according to preliminary plans.

The town houses would offer homeownership opportunities for first-time buyers and area residents interested in downsizing to a smaller living space, where a property manager would handle upkeep, said Nick Girardi, principal at Woodbury-based Girardi Development Corp.

“As baby boomers are getting older, the demand really does increase for this type of product,” he said in an interview.

The Hempstead Town Board voted 6-0 to approve the rezoning of the site. Dorothy L. Goosby, councilwoman and deputy supervisor, was not present.

Representatives for Oceanside Jewish Center did not immediately respond to requests for comment Tuesday.

Girardi said he expects the units to sell for between $750,000 and $900,000. The developer must still receive site plan approval and building permits from the town.

The median price of a single-family house in Oceanside was $745,000 across 109 sales in the second half of 2024, according to data from appraisal firm Miller Samuel and Douglas Elliman Real Estate.

If approved, Girardi projected the development could break ground early next year and take about 18 months to build. That would make the units available for sale in 2027, depending on the timing of town approvals, he said.

Girardi declined to provide the total cost of construction or the price his company will pay to acquire the property.

Past opposition

The town house plan is the latest proposal to redevelop the Oceanside Jewish Center property. Hempstead Town rejected a plan for an 119-bed assisted living facility at the site in 2021 after the proposal faced community opposition. 

Girardi said he has had an agreement to purchase the site from Oceanside Jewish Center for about 2½ years. He first proposed 90 townhouses but scaled back the plan after receiving community input.

The developer met with neighbors last June to share the results of a traffic study from R&M Engineering in Huntington that concluded traffic would be at an acceptable level.

Neighbors objected at the time to the single outlet to Oceanside Road and the developer opted to remove two units from the plan to add an entrance and exit to Brower Avenue.

There will be 144 parking spaces at Fieldstone, including each town house's dedicated garage and driveway.

The developer estimated annual taxes paid on the condos will total at least $800,000. Girardi said he does not plan to seek a Payment in Lieu of Taxes, or PILOT agreement, from the Town of Hempstead.

Norman Chan, 45, who lives in a house adjacent to the site, said he is cautiously optimistic about the plan. He would prefer to see single-family houses but he favored the town house plan over the earlier proposals for senior rentals or an assisted-living facility. 

“Something will eventually be built here,” Chan said. “Based on the plans that were presented to us, this seems to be the best solution."

Chan said he and his neighbors are concerned about noise and pests associated with construction.

Girardi vowed to respond to residents’ concerns as the project moves forward

“Anything that make them feel comfortable during the process, we will do,” he said.

By Jonathan LaMantia

jonathan.lamantia@newsday.com@jonlamantia

Jonathan LaMantia covers residential real estate and other business news on Long Island. He previously covered the business of health care for Crain's New York Business.