Hearing continued on proposed 5-story mixed-use at 97—6109 Main Street in Mineola

A public hearing on March 17 for a proposed five-story mixed-use building at 97—6109 Main Street in the Village of Mineola was carried to April 9 after the village said Nassau County Planning Commission had not yet acted on the application.

Kevin Walsh, attorney for the applicant DP Builders Inc., described the project as a 62-unit building with three ground-floor retail spaces, including a restaurant, two levels of below-grade parking and rooftop amenities. "This is an application concerning the property at 97—6109 Main Street in the village," Walsh said when introducing the proposal and the project team.

Architect Salvatore Ferrara of Combined Resources, Inc. said the design aimed to fit the downtown character by borrowing materials and details from neighboring buildings. "Our job here was really a very complicated building ... to create a downtown building, not just any building, but something that fit the downtown character, and to actually enhance the character of that downtown," Ferrara said.

The board voted to treat the application as an unlisted action under the village's environmental-review process and to continue the public hearing to April 9 so the trustees could review any input from the Nassau County Planning Commission. The motion to declare the project an unlisted action passed on a voice vote (motion by Trustee Soloski; second by Deputy Mayor Sartori). Later, Deputy Mayor Sartori moved to continue the hearing to April 9; Trustee Casado seconded and the motion carried.

Project details presented to the board and in the engineering reports include:

- Housing and mix: 62 residential units (49 one-bedroom units and 13 two-bedroom units). Walsh said the one-bedroom units are about 750 square feet or greater; two-bedroom units are about 1,100 square feet.

- Affordable housing and payments: The applicant proposes seven affordable units (roughly 10% of total) and offered an incentive payment of $620,000 to the village, plus a parking-fund contribution the applicant estimated at about $22,000.

- Parking and circulation: The proposal provides 85 total parking spaces (22 at-grade and 63 below grade) while the village historic-district calculation yields a requirement of about 96 spaces. Walsh said the developer intends to purchase additional spaces from the village parking fund if the board approves. Traffic consultant Keenan Cody of R&M Engineering reported that intersection studies and software modeling show the study locations operating at Level of Service A; "traffic wise, there's really not too much to speak of," Cody said.

- Building form and amenities: The design is five stories with an upper amenity level (presenters called it a sixth-floor community/gym/terrace area). The corner element facing Second and Main is set to a lower height (about 46 feet at the corner) to reduce visual impact; other parts of the structure are set back as much as 65 feet from Second Street to limit the building's street presence. Two below-grade parking levels and rooftop terraces for residents were described.

- Utilities, water and schools: Consultants said water and sanitary infrastructure studies use Nassau County baseline data; the applicant's consultants noted modern plumbing fixtures and recent multiunit buildings in Mineola typically use less water than older county consumption estimates. The engineering report estimated a conservative water use of about 14,000 gallons per day but noted measured usage in comparable occupied buildings would be closer to 6,500—6,900 gallons per day.

Board members asked detailed operational questions about trash handling, deliveries and parking assignment. Walsh said residential parking would be assigned and part of tenant leases, with building staff monitoring registration; the board reiterated its expectation that assigned resident parking be included in rent rather than sold as an optional add-on. Trustees also raised concerns about security of the pedestrian alley between the building and Second Street and about controlling loading and outdoor seating so it does not impede pedestrian movement.

No final approvals were issued; the board cannot vote on the application until the Nassau County Planning Commission completes its review. The hearing was continued to April 9.