Freeport board to review Water Works plan

The Freeport Village Planning Board Thursday appointed itself as the lead agency to review the controversial development plan for the old Brooklyn Water Works property, officials said.

The decision comes a week after the Freeport Landmarks Preservation Commission reached a 4-4 tie vote on whether to approve the apartment complex plan. The tie vote moved the project to the planning board for consideration.

Huntington developer Gary Melius, who owns Oheka Castle in Cold Spring Hills, has proposed a six-floor, dark red building with 121 apartments and ground-level parking for 200 cars at the historic Brookside Avenue property next to the Long Island Rail Road.

As the lead agency, the planning board will coordinate oversight of the application review and approval process.

Residents have expressed concerns about the building's appearance and size, its proximity to the Brookside nature preserve, and its effects on the environment and traffic.

Village Attorney Howard Colton said the planning board notified about a dozen agencies, including the Town of Hempstead Zoning Board, Nassau County Planning Commission and the Long Island Rail Road, to see if any would be interested in becoming the lead agency overseeing the application. Only Nassau County responded and that was to indicate no interest, Colton said.

"Seeing that the notified agencies and/or groups did not respond, the planning board voted to be lead agency," Colton said.

The planning board sent a second letter yesterday to notify the agencies of its decision. Any objections must be filed within 30 days, Colton said.