Last week, Farmingdale village officials approved a special use permit to allow for mixed use development at 155 Main St., currently home to the nostalgic toy and hobby shop, The Land of Ooh’s and Oz.
According to Farmingdale Mayor Ralph Ekstrand, the project will entail the demolition of an old dilapidated building behind the retail storefront, renovations to the 6,153 square-feet of retail space and construction of 14 studio apartments on the back lot.
But, in order to erect a new residential building, the village requires that sufficient parking be provided for its tenants. At the meeting on Aug. 4, property owner Samuel Glass, agreed to provide 17 parking spaces for residents on the ground level, using the top two floors for the one-bedroom apartments. Once construction is complete, Glass plans to lease the one bedroom studios at current market value.
“He will not be changing the size of the building,” Ekstrand said, stressing that the construction will look very similar to the offices at 399 Conklin St., which he referred to as a building on stilts.
While Glass would agree to provide parking for potential tenants, he would opt to waive 14 of the 15 required commercial parking spaces, paying the village $5,000 for one parking spot.
Traditionally, village officials will waive commercial parking requirements due to the number of municipal parking spaces available.
However, while Glass has said he plans to renovate the interior and exterior facade of the retail building, it remains unclear if he has any other plans for the Land of Ooh’s and Oz, as of press time.
