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Three Village staff review district properties, covenants as options for rental or program space
Summary
Committee members discussed renting or repurposing district properties including Nichols Road administration facility and other parcels, noted covenants on some parcels, and said Stony Brook University and others have expressed interest in partnerships or space.
District staff and committee members reviewed several district properties and potential revenue or program uses, including the Nichols Road administration building, 50+ acres near Mount described as a preserve, and other parcels tied to elementary sites.
A staff presenter told the advisory committee that some district-owned properties carry covenants limiting use to educational purposes and that only a subset of properties have such constraints. Staff named Mount and a Hawkins Road parcel as sites with use covenants and said the district’s attorney would need to research deed terms before any sale or repurposing.
The presenter said the Nichols Road facility contains roughly five acres contiguous with Murphy’s property and that in prior years attempts to rent or sell the site failed; the building’s ceiling heights also limit some potential educational reuses. The district noted it currently uses Nichols Road for BOCES textbook storage, vehicle parking and professional-development space.
Staff said Stony Brook University has approached the district about possible partnerships and said the district has also had exploratory conversations with Northwell. Stony Brook reportedly offered to rent facilities to house mental-health services and other programs; the district said those talks are preliminary and that any rental or lease plan would require legal review and operational cost analysis.
On portable classroom (SAC) space, staff said moving more SAC programs indoors is a district priority for safety and security. The presenter said two or three schools could move SAC programs into building space next year and that the district planned to continue reducing reliance on portables as part of facilities planning.
Staffing and operational costs were noted as constraints: the presenter said moving core network operations (the district NOC) or academy programs off current sites could cost about $1,000,000 or more to relocate. Staff also noted prior bond planning and traffic/access constraints tied to 25A frontage near some properties, and that prior bond proposals had included a maintenance building with a state-imposed “right-turn only” traffic condition for exit onto 25A.
No formal decisions or sales were made at the meeting; staff said they would have attorneys research covenants and prepare options for the board’s consideration, including potential rental agreements and the feasibility of repurposing properties while preserving program needs.
