Report: Paterson backs Lighthouse development

Gov. David A. Paterson said Thursday that he supports the Lighthouse development planned for 150 acres around a renovated Nassau Coliseum, Lighthouse president Michael Picker said after a meeting at the governor's Manhattan office. Paterson "was quite knowledgeable about the project - he even finished our sentences a couple of times," Picker said of the governor, who grew up in Hempstead Village. Picker, who attended the meeting with principal developer Charles Wang, said Paterson told them he has assigned a member of his staff to be a liaison to help expedite the approval process. Picker said the governor also said he would help secure funding for improvements to state roads such as the Meadowbrook Parkway and Hempstead Turnpike to mitigate traffic concerns. A spokeswoman for Paterson said he was unavailable and, because the meeting was private, the office would have no comment. Wang has criticized the length of the approval process; town Supervisor Kate Murray has said the town is following mandated procedures. The project calls for a new Coliseum, 2,300 residential units and 1.5 million square feet of offices and shops. "That's great news," Murray said of the meeting. "In fact, tomorrow I'm going to ask Mr. Wang's permission to send the Lighthouse's environmental report to state agencies so they can start their review." Hempstead Town consultants last week finished a three-month review of the developer's draft environmental impact report and outlined areas that they say are unresolved. Picker said Paterson focused on the "tremendous benefits the project has for the town, the county and the state. "And," he added, "he understands the importance of the project for New York State."