Politics & Government

Vacant Roslyn Road Parking Lot Still Draws Inquiries

MTA won't turn property over to Village of Mineola until project complete.

The use of the at the corner of Roslyn Road and Second Street continues to be an issue in the village, particularly for residents of the Birchwood Court apartment complex.

Speaking at the January 4 meeting of the at the , resident Dennis Walsh stated that he had discovered that the Jacob Issacs building at 25 Roslyn Rd., just south of the grade crossing elimination project on Roslyn Road, had been one of the properties seized during the project and recently returned for sale.

“It was really never mentioned,” Walsh said of the property. “If the Jacob Issacs building property was returned for sale then the project must be over so if the project’s over then the state, the Department of Transportation should give that parking lot to the village like they promised.”

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The MTA and Department of Transportation had promised to grant the parking lot opposite the Black Sheep to the village after the project’s completion. Major construction of the at-grade elimination project was completed in January 2009 at a cost of $24.3 million.

Walsh reported that in researching the Jacob Issacs property, he and Russ Sutherland found that it was first titled in 1992 and was owned by the Allied Novelty Holding Corp. before being transferred in 2000 to the Joint Board 18 Pension corporation. Walsh believed it was intended to be used as a staging ground, “but it was ever used as a staging ground.”

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The building was purchased by Mineola-based KC Realty Holdings on May 23, 2011 for a reported price of $662,500. Further research at the county clerk’s office revealed that only half the property was seized, removed from the tax rolls and subdivided in 2003, with half of the property seized by department of transportation.

“I imagine they got all the property including the seized property but I’m not sure of that,” Walsh said.

Two building permits were issued for the property which were dated November and December of last year. Construction is currently being undertaken on the property with the interior reportedly being “completely gutted” and solar panels being installed on the roof.

Birchwood Court recently attempted to rent the parking lot property but was told it would cost $5,000 a month according to Walsh.

said he inquired and was told that the project “has not been satisfied yet; they still have some ongoing issues.”

Deputy Mayor Paul Pereira asked if the landscaped part of the hill was also still owned by the MTA as well.

At the January 18 meeting, village clerk Joseph Scalero reported that Wash was correct in that one of the now-subdivided lots had been returned to private ownership but “they are not required to turn them over at the same time.” The DOT is retaining the second of the two large parcels until the project is completed.

“I don’t know when that will be, that’s still a source of tension but until that’s done they won’t release it,” he said, adding that there was no indication of what might be holding the project up. “They have a punch-list of items that they need before they can close out that project formally and until they officially and finally close it out, they’re going to hold that parcel. It’s still to be turned over to us, there’s just no date yet.”


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