Residents attending the Village of Lake Success Town Hall Meeting on Dec. 7 learned about the process entailed in Lockheed Martin's application to rezone its 93-acre property as a prerequisite for redevelopment as a multiple use site. Mayor Robert Bernstein and village officials also introduced three consultants retained by its task force to assess the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) Lockheed Martin will prepare, and to serve as liaisons with the Town of North Hempstead task force.

This was the first of a series of public information meetings regarding the property.

Forty-three acres of the triangle-shaped property lie within the village and 50 acres within the town. Each entity is expected to be declared lead agency within its jurisdiction. Confirmation of lead agency status is expected shortly.

Defense contractor giant Lockheed Martin has already submitted applications to the town for a change in zoning from light manufacturing to a planned unit development (PUD) or similar multi-use of the property. Proposed site plans call for office buildings, a geriatric center, a senior assisted living facility and a hotel/conference center, among other uses.

On Aug. 4, the town passed a local law that would allow a PUD of at least 90 acres and established its task force, which includes Lake Success task force members.

Anticipating a single generic EIS from Lockheed Martin, Lake Success Trustee and Task Force Chairman Ron Cooper stated that separate findings will be rendered by each lead agency. He assured residents that while there will be "an interrelationship between Lake Success and the Town of North Hempstead on development of this property, we will protect the interests of this village and that is prime."

With input from village attorney Peter Mineo and others in the community, the village task force selected a planner with Freudenthal & Elkowitz in Commack, a traffic engineer with Michael Maris Associates of New Jersey, and a hydro-geologist with Fanning, Phillips & Moldaur of Ronkonkoma. The consultants' fees will be paid by the applicant, Lockheed Martin. The consultants are presently preparing for a Jan. 19 joint scoping session with the town. The location will be announced.

Mr. Mineo noted, "Lake Success has scrupulously designed the process so the village will have its own counsel and its own consultants so it will be independent of any decision that the town might make, if the town's choice of usage of the zoning is not consistent with the village's."

Noting that any rezoning must be done "within the village's comprehensive plan," Mr. Mineo said his firm will work with the Lake Success planner and with Lockheed Martin to determine if the types of proposed uses are consistent with that plan. Any zoning change will ultimately be decided by the village trustees.

Consultant Terri Elkowitz of Freudenthal and Elkowitz will review the EIS from a planning and environmental perspective, according to a state law whose "main function is to allow identification of environmental impacts and to foster public participation in the process very early on."

Ms. Elkowitz believes the village will probably make a determination that Lockheed Martin's project is "likely to have a significant adverse impact." At the Jan. 19 public session, "residents will be asked to come forward and put forth their opinions and comments as to what they would like to see analyzed in the generic EIS." The defense contractor must then rework the EIS until "Lake Success (board) has found the document is complete, addresses the issues in the scope and is adequate for public reviewing and comment for a minimum of 30 days."

Consultant Dr. Kevin Phillips, a hydro-geologist, wants the site development "to enhance or accelerate the cleanup of the property itself...and be a development of which the village is proud." He felt "there should be more alternatives than what New York State has recommended for cleanup of the catch basins...more than just a fence and signs" alerting people to stay out of the area. He cautioned, "Sometimes it is difficult to identify all the sources of contamination on a site, especially a large site. Things may show up during demolition that were unknown before."

Consultant Michael Maris, a traffic engineer, will "identify the impact of development in terms of the additional traffic it will generate and then identify improvements (roadways, traffic signals) to mitigate the impact...We will see how Lockheed Martin has responded to questions we have raised...then look at the accuracy and prepare a technical review" for Lake Success.

Mr. Cooper commented, "We will be fair with Lockheed Martin. Lockheed has acted in an appropriate way and we are assured they will continue to act in an appropriate way...We hope the property will be useful and appropriate to this village."

About a dozen residents addressed the board and consultants, voicing an array of concerns about the site, including the need for information about excavating and dredging three recharge basins that are currently slated to be left untouched on the property; the Department of Conservation's (DEC) standards for protecting health; the need to check for a new contaminant recently reported in the news to be directly linked to breast cancer; the profit potential of Lockheed Martin's proposed hotel; diligent site cleanup by Lockheed Martin prior to redevelopment; the impact of not fully remediating on future property values and on residents' health; and drinking water safety at the Great Neck public schools complex on Lakeville Road.

New Hyde Park resident Jim McCue, a member of his village's task force, civic association president and town liaison, asked rhetorically, "Would it be two years before Lockheed Martin can put shovel to ground? The answer is, 'No.' Lockheed Martin wants development to begin at the end of 1999...I do not want people to have the misconception that all of the studies have to be done before Lockheed Martin can start their development of the property..."

Planner Terri Elkowitz countered that "no permits will be issued... the environmental review process must be completed." Ron Cooper added, "Lockheed Martin said today they are hoping to have approvals in place by the year 2000...From the Lake Success perspective, not a shovel is going into the ground until Lake Success agrees."

Shirley Siegal of the League of Women Voters and a Water Authority of Great Neck North director stated, "We have been studying water quality in Great Neck since 1988 and following this whole remediation of the Lockheed Martin site for a long time...There is very little data to analyze...There is no reason why those lagoons should not be cleaned up...DEC is supposed to be protecting our health but the budgets are so low...and they expect us to put the pressure on Lockheed Martin to pay for the analysis."

Great Neck Public Schools District Consultant David Kincaid responded to concerns about water quality in the public schools. "The Great Neck school district monitors its water...There are no contaminants in the water that the Great Neck school children drink."

Mayor Bernstein concluded by stating, "The questions asked, if not answered, will be part of the study for the consultants...We owe it to future residents, our children and grandchildren to get this corporation to do what we need for the future. A transcript of meeting will be made available to Lockheed Martin." Comments and questions submitted in writing to Mayor Bernstein by Jan. 29 will be forwarded to the task force and consultants.

Trustee Ron Cooper added, "This village is not going to sell out for any money to Lockheed Martin, but we are not going to be an adversary to Lockheed if they proceed in a manner that we feel is appropriate to this village."