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We are just about to close on a house in GC. I keep hearing about this Avalon Bay project to turn St. Pauls into luxury apartments.
I'm curious..for the people in GC that have seen all the details on this project...what do you think?
Good or bad?
Will it increase traffic on Stewart?
Good for the development of downtown?
Will it create a bit of crowding in the schools?
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In reading about it, it doesn't seem like a bad idea. It's not like rif raf will move into luxury apartments. But, I'm not sure I want added traffic on Stewart there.
Well, on LI, any "high density" project immediately gets slammed by locals, so I'm sure there's a vocal contingent in GC claiming that renters will overload the schools (completely missing the point that LEGAL apartment dwellers contribute to property taxes and pay their way!)
I'm not a GC resident, but have followed the situation closely.IMO GC is nuts for thinking of this. The taxes they will be paid by the developer is miniscule, and not worth the development of that pretty piece of property.
One of the benefits of living in such an exclusive area as GC is having the financial ability to leave a place like St. Pauls alone. Just pay the village workers to keep the facade safe and clean, and leave it alone.
If you don't want to pay for its upkeep, then knock it down and put up new baseball fields so you won't have to take over the Garden City South Little league fields on Cherry Valley Ave. Besides, I don't think GC residents will be too fond of having their games there due to the mosquitos and the wonderful aroma coming from the GC dump.
BTW, "luxury" is an adjective being branded about quite freely lately. The town is propsing "luxury apartments" in West Hempstead at the Courtesy Hotel site. Yes, I'm sure the well to do want to overlook the homeless living in Liquidator's Parking lot, and enjoy the smells from White Castle!
Well, from what I'm reading, it's 108 units...with 20 being only for Seniors. That's not that much density. Also, from the plans I'm seeing, they do look quite luxurious. With that proximity to the Garden City Hotel and 7th Street, I don't like they will be slum-like.
Essentially, it costs GC about 200,000 a year to maintain that building vacant. (In the future it might cost more.) So, we either have to develop it or knock it down.
I know it's a historical monument, but I'm starting to think maybe we should just knock it down and build more athletic fields over there.
At almost 20K per kid cost for the school district, that 200K price tag to maintain St. Pauls will seem like a bargain if more than 10 kids live in the new apartments.
Considering the cheapest home in GC is in the 700s, renting the apartment is an outright steal for someone who wants their kid to get a GC education.
GC has been able to maintain its reputation as an extremely desirable place to live because the prices prevent most people from buying there. ACORN has been trying for years to get their foot into GC. Will the new apartments take Federal money and therefore be required to set a certain # of low income apartments? For 200K you are going to give up village control?
Personally, I think the only thing that should have been considered is high end condos 55+. This will allow GC seniors to downsize while still paying significant taxes to the village and school, while enabling younger people to buy the bigger homes.
Garden City residents don't realize how special they have it. To risk losing that for a paltry 200K per year seems dopey. Go visit the towns Avalon Bay has its developments in, Glen Cove, Coram. That's what you want your village to become?
Again, I'm an outsider, but living in FS and going through GC daily and comparing it to WH, FS, Mineola, etc you see how unique GC truly is. Why would you want to risk losing that? Find another way to raise money, but don't vote for this albatross. Garden City School District
ACORN is a detestable organization. If they tried to push their way in GC, I'd picket in front of St. Paul's myself.
Basically there are 3 choices--Avalon, Mothball it, or destroy it.
This Avalon Bay is sounding worse and worse. They better not ram it through. I'll vote for destroying it and then we can use that land for other activities.
Your math is false. Contrary to what some people on LI seem to think, the owners of rental properties pay property taxes (and charge rent accordingly) so GC will not be out of pocket unless everyone's cramming 3 kids into every apartment. (And don't forget, if your $20K is correct, most homeowners aren't paying their kids' way either.) So, GC will not only be NOT paying that $200K, but receiving property taxes on the development--unless they've given Avalon a tax break, which is their own problem.
This is typical LI thinking, and it's shortsighted and wrong. You know what happens when you don't build legal rentals? people split their houses, causing congestion in single family neighborhoods. Many of them don't get permits, so you get an illegal-rental problem. And you know those low-cost Southern states many of you speak of so admiringly? Go see how many rental complexes there are, even in nice towns.
Not all renters (cough, cough) are low-rent immigrants with a bunch of kids who are going to invade your schools. Long Island's dearth of rentals doesn't just keep "undesirables" out--it keeps out young professionals and families who are unable or not yet ready to buy.
Unless they're willing to accept Section 8 (unlikely) the renters in those units are going to be well off. (I know Avalon rents, and they're not cheap.) What unit sizes are they building? If they're building a lot of 1 bedrooms, you won't see many families at all. 2 beds will get some families, but many will be couples with babies. The load on the schools is not going to be huge. (The Avalon in Melville, which does have quite a few kids, has a sizeable number of 3 bed units and a quarter are reserved for affordable housing.)
There are 108 units. 20 are for seniors. Of the remaining 88, I'm not sure how many are 2 and 3 bedrooms, but I would venture to say half would be. So, that's 44 units that could have kids.
I've confirmed the numbers...It's a cost of 18,000 per kid in GC schools. So, if each multi-room unit had one kid, that would be 44 X 18,000. That's almost 850,000. Wow. Lot of money there.
We'd have to see how much in property taxes Avalon is going to pay. If they are getting a break, then the plan makes no sense.
I really feel we should just demolish St. Pauls at this point.
There are 108 units. 20 are for seniors. Of the remaining 88, I'm not sure how many are 2 and 3 bedrooms, but I would venture to say half would be. So, that's 44 units that could have kids.
I've confirmed the numbers...It's a cost of 18,000 per kid in GC schools. So, if each multi-room unit had one kid, that would be 44 X 18,000. That's almost 850,000. Wow. Lot of money there.
We'd have to see how much in property taxes Avalon is going to pay. If they are getting a break, then the plan makes no sense.
I really feel we should just demolish St. Pauls at this point.
Id push for a PRC Azzurony.
No impact on schools ...increased rateabales etc.
We do need more rentals in our downtowns.
Our kids are graduating college and moving to Brooklyn because theres nowhere to start here.
108 Units is nothing.
Crooks
BTW
Laid off Wall Street will need transitional housing in GC too.
If it's $18K per kid, most GC families with kids in the schools aren't paying their own way either, so really, the property tax argument can only go so far. In any district, the commercial taxes prop up the residential side. (It's why some of the poorest districts have the highest taxes relative to value.)
Demolishing St Paul's would be cutting off your nose to spite your face, and if it's opened to low density development, would be totally symptomatic of shortsighted LI thinking.
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