Between West Broadway and the boardwalk to the north and south, and Washington and Lindell boulevards to the east and west, stands an aging building covered with murals, home to a whale sculpture composed of recycled garbage.
The former Hebrew Academy of Long Beach was the subject of a two-and-a-half-hour-long discussion at the Aug. 27 Zoning Board of Appeals meeting, as a familiar developer — Kurt Wittek’s 73rd Meridian Partners LLC, a partnership between Wittek Development LLC and Sackman Enterprises — sought variances needed to redevelop the property.
Wittek’s plans call for demolishing the existing building and the construction of a 106-unit condominium development. The 75,000-square-foot property would feature two eight-story residential towers with a mix of one-, two- and three-bedroom units, as well as an amenity building above a two-story parking garage with 213 spaces, which developers called “the podium.”
When the project was first brought before the zoning board in 2016, it was proposed as a 15-story, 154-foot-tall building with 154 units.
“When we undertook this, we tried to create what we thought would be an appealing, aesthetically desirable project that would enhance the landscape [of] its environment,” Wittek said. “Our process of interacting with the city and its consultants taught us that we needed to listen. We think we did.”
Because the building is in a residential district, the developer is seeking zoning variances for height, building area — the portion of a lot that a building can occupy — front- and side-yard requirements and density. According to city code, residential buildings in that district cannot be taller than 40 feet or occupy more than 35 percent of a lot. The proposed building would be nearly 80 feet tall and cover more than 43 percent of the property.
City code also requires a 10-foot setback from the West Broadway property line and a 20-foot setback from the Boardwalk.
Greg Alvarez, an attorney with Amato Law Group, representing 73rd Meridian, explained that the requested front-yard variance would accommodate access to the parking area rather than allow the building itself to be closer to the property line. “We don’t need it for the building,” Alvarez said. “We just need it to get the driveway through so people can access parking.”
As well, city code requires that 65 percent of the lot’s width — 325 feet — remain open and unobstructed. The proposal would reduce that width to 70 feet. And the property is limited to one dwelling unit per 1,000 square feet of lot area, but 73rd Meridian’s proposal calls for one unit per 708 square feet, which would exceed the zoning limit by 31 units.
Long Beach’s corporation counsel, Greg Kalnitsky, said that the Nassau County Planning Commission had notified the zoning board that the proposal had been reviewed, and could be voted on at the board’s discretion.
Residents then had the opportunity to comment.
Dina Fiore, who lives on West Broadway, said she opposed the development. The stresses of overpopulation are already apparent in the city, Fiore said, noting roadways in disrepair, as well as water and sewer systems that are on the decline.
“This project is out of character and against the very fiber of why this city was created in the first place,” Fiore said. “I’m not suggesting we live in the past. I’m only trying to preserve what remains of our landscape and, most importantly, our infrastructure for the future generations to enjoy and prosper.”
Other residents echoed Fiore’s concerns.
“I am a resident of Lindell,” Maura La Manna said. “I bought [a home] in the Westholme area because it was peaceful, quiet and well-kept. I feel like, between Washington and Lindell, with all the proposed projects in the area, that we’re being sandwiched in. The landscape will never look the same.”
But Susan Frushtick, who lives on West Broadway, said she supported the development plans. “This is a breath of fresh air,” she said with enthusiasm. “It’s upscale, it’s modern, and I think it’s time for Long Beach to have a change. I’m thrilled to have this development.”
The zoning board adjourned 73rd Meridian’s application until its Sept. 24 hearing.