The Village of Manorhaven March 28 Board of Trustees meeting focused on the waterfront in the village and throughout the Port Washington peninsula. The mayor and board also discussed the coming year’s budget.
The meeting began with the approval of the 2018-19 proposed budget of $4,144,622 with projected revenue and expenses of $3,920,885. This leaves a surplus of $224,429 for a total fund balance of $781,356.
“The village’s finances are in good shape,” said Manorhaven Mayor Jim Avena. “I am very pleased that we worked out a budget that builds in a surplus so we have a healthy cushion for necessary expenditures if needed.”
The board then addressed the village’s waterfront building moratorium and related issues. Avena clarified that the Waterfront Analysis contains Cameron Engineering’s ideas for the village, and was not created by the mayor or board of trustees. He further explained that no changes to the zoning code had been approved. The board then passed a resolution not to enact a waterfront overlay district allowing residential building on any marine zoned property.
Deputy Village Clerk Donald Badaczewski then explained the history of the moratorium to those in attendance. In June of 2016, a moratorium was placed on construction on all waterfront properties. He stated that he believed that the moratorium was enacted due to public concern about the future of waterfront parcels in the village, such as the large Thypin Steel property. The 11-acre Thypin Steel property was rezoned Residential 3 over a decade ago, but there was speculation that environmental remediation efforts on the site were nearing conclusion.
Badaczewski further explained that he had recently met with the Cow Neck Peninsula Historical Society and discussed the Village of Manorhaven’s waterfront. At that meeting, historical society members agreed that the local waterfront is an issue larger than any one village and recommended that the local waterfront communities work with the Town of North Hempstead to address regional concerns.
Avena said he would initiate meetings with the mayors of neighboring waterfront villages to discuss a possible singular approach to waterfront property development and rezoning considerations.
“The great majority of Manorhaven residents know we’re doing a very good job,” the mayor concluded. “We need to keep moving the village forward, not waste time and resources deflecting lies from a small group of bitter residents.”