The Village of Sea Cliff Board of Trustees intend to implement a “Comprehensive Plan” for the Village that will have a substantial and long-lasting impact on zoning law, property development, taxes, and traffic in the Village of Sea Cliff

Mayor Villafane’s stance is that residents have misguided beliefs about the Plan due to unwarranted concerns about development of the Giordano nursery property on Glen Cove Ave.

Over 50 people packed the Village Hall meeting room on June 20, 2023 to voice their concerns. However, the Mayor seemed to be stubbornly resistant many of the residents’ objections that were expressed at the public meeting on the Plan. Village Trustees sat in silence during the public comment meeting.

The Village Board is accepting additional written public comments until Friday June 30. SEND YOUR COMMENTS TO: emcdonnell@seacliff-ny.gov

Public Comments of Sea Cliff Property Owners Committee

The Sea Cliff Comprehensive Plan, hereinafter referred to as the “Plan,” should not move forward with the current language because the Plan overlooks or does not consider issues important to the residents of Sea Cliff. This plan is being promoted to the community as something needed to conduct zoning updates and protect the character of Sea Cliff. It may very well encourage the type of development the majority of residents fear.

More specifically, we find these items to be of significant concern:

• The Plan, BFJ Planning Inc, or the Village counsel have not offered a legal opinion on whether the Plan could be potentially used by developers to challenge Sea Cliff’s zoning laws in the future.
• Mayor Villafane has made claims the Plan is necessary to potentially thwart N.Y.S. Governor Hocul’s attempts to mandate higher density housing. While we all agree this is a threat to our community, the Mayor hasn’t offered an explanation on how a Plan could block new State law or State Executive authority. In New York, Albany has disparate power over municipalities and the Plan likely offers no protection from legislative authority. Therefore, it seems this threat is merely a scare tactic being used to gain resident support for the Plan
• The Plan promotes “cluster housing” for potential new development without defining cluster housing. Cluster housing is an urban design concept that is out of character with the Village of Sea Cliff. The Plan does nothing to advocate for unique housing stock that makes our Village such a special place.
• Chapter 5 of the Plan advocates for many zoning changes to Village code in vague terms without providing a background or understanding on the need for such changes or the impact to the residents or character of Sea Cliff.
• The Plan does not consider traffic VOLUME considerations that are impacting our Village due to area development. The plan only discusses traffic “calming” which presumably will slow down traffic further.
• The Plan promotes “affordable housing” within the Village, while not discussing the impact of property tax reductions (if available) a developer may obtain for building such affordable housing. The plan does not consider the property tax ramifications on property owners for essentially subsidizing affordable housing through our already high property taxes.
• The Plan does not consider the impact on Village and School property tax revenues by changing commercial “non-homestead” properties on Glen Cove Avenue to residential “homestead” or mixed use property classifications.
• The Plan promotes three story (38′ building height) multi-family construction on Glen Cove Ave, a measure widely opposed by Village residents. The Mayor disingenuously claimed the Plan doesn’t use the word “apartment building” during the June 20th meeting, but her claim still semantically conflicts with the Plan language.
• The Plan promotes “sewer lines “without discussing the impact of how increased sewer line distribution may encourage further area development.
• In creating this Plan the Village hired “Urbanomics,” which is a pro-developer agency whose own website claims they, “Balancing the consensus……enables us to recommend development strategies that will work.”
• The Plan should be put up for a public referendum for approval. We have been told by Mayor Villafane the plan is “our Plan.” How can it be “our Plan “if residents don’t vote on the Plan in a democratic manner?

As a long-time residents, we’ve always viewed the Village of Sea Cliff as a special place. A place that is a refuge from the rest of Long Island, with its cookie cutter houses, strip malls, and traffic. A place that was “affordable” with an above average school district AND below average property taxes. We don’t see this Plan protecting the Sea Cliff I know.

As evident by the overwhelming public responses to the issues we raised during the June 20th meeting, the Board of Trustees are urged to consider resident opposition to this current proposed Plan. This proposed Plan should be shelved until the issues raised herein are addressed.