Residents and village trustees heatedly debated the proposed Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory workforce housing on Sandy Hill Road at the Oyster Bay Cove board meeting on Jan. 29.
If approved by the zoning board, the laboratory would convert a single-family home into a 30-unit apartment building for its employees.
“I, personally, don’t trust any single thing that you guys do behind closed doors,” said resident Evelyn Ains, a member of Save Oyster Bay Cove, a resident group combatting the proposal..
The board previously changed a zoning law, which would allow for the complex to be built in an A1 zoning district for single-family residences. Residents said they felt “blindsided” by the change, and believe that personal relationships drove the decision. Residents said there was no communication from the board about the zoning change until after the fact.
Residents asked the board to repeal the law, which would stop the laboratory from renovating the current home and moving in approximately 30 employees. The renovation would also include a 32-car parking lot on the property.
“We are not going to repeal the law,” said Oyster Bay Cove Mayor Charles Goulding.
“This village board complied with all legal requirements,” Village Attorney Chris Wagner said.
“It feels like Cold Spring Harbor Labs is driving the agenda here. And our clients object to what appears to be the collaboration between the Cold Spring Harbor labs and the village,” said Daniel Cahn, an attorney who spoke on behalf of Save Oyster Bay Cove, a resident group combatting the site’s proposal.
The 11-acre plot was the site of dormitories for Harmony Heights School, which until it closed in 2023, housed up to 30 female secondary students with social and emotional needs.
Cahn said the village previously issued a special-use permit for the site to be used for primary or secondary school usage.
Because the laboratory would house post-doctoral students, not primary or secondary schoolers, Cahn said the sale of the property was “contingent on the village zoning ordinance being amended in such a way that would permit the use.”
On Dec. 23, 2023, he said the board passed an amendment to the A1 zone, which said higher education institutions within a four-mile radius of a property may apply for a special use property, if the lot is at least 11 acres and constructed before 1915.
Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory is the only higher education institution within a four-mile radius, he said.
“Permitting a dormitory facility in the middle of a single-family residential zone under the circumstances presented here is a classic example of spot zoning, which is illegal in New York,” Cahn said.
Spot zoning is when a parcel of land is singled out for a different use than the surrounding area to the benefit of the property owner and to the detriment of surrounding neighbors, he said.
Wagner said the village met all legal requirements and is within its right to change the zoning for the property. He said the board had two meetings and a public hearing on the matter prior to the change.
“This law is a valid exercise of this village board’s zoning powers. This board has the ability, as the legislative body of the village, to adopt legislation that it deems to be in the best interest of the village,” he said.
Wagner said there have been special=use permits issued to other organizations within the village, such as East Woods School, the water district and the Greek Orthodox Church.
Residents said the village trustees are not taking their concerns seriously. At the meeting, dozens of residents appeared to speak against the proposal, with one resident in attendance to support it.
“We have one person for it, and approximately 25 people against it,” said resident Peter Cavalary. “My question to you guys: who do you serve?”
One of the main concerns cited by residents was traffic and congestion.
The village’s roads are narrow and already prone to traffic during peak travel times, which will be made worse with 30 employed adults moving into a single property, they said. Traffic at off-peak times would also increase due to errands, Amazon deliveries, and Uber Eats orders, they said.
Residents said, realistically, the Harmony Heights School dormitories typically housed eight to 10 students, all of whom were quiet and took walks in the neighborhood. Ains said the students were taken to and from school in the mornings and afternoons in a mini-bus.
Ains said Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory plans to run full-sized buses from the building to its facilities every hour and on demand.
Residents also said the property boarders the Tiffany Creek Preserve, and there have been no studies done over the environmental impact of almost 30 people and vehicle entering the property.
The zoning board has been strict with its regulations for existing residents in the village, residents said.
“The problem is it is a clear, clear show of favoritism,” said resident Gina Weinberg.
Weinberg said the board denied her pool proposal, and had her remove a chicken coop and gazebo from her property, even though she received no complaints from neighbors about them. Another resident said she was “tortured” by the board when she sought approval for changes to her home.
Residents asked if the village board is “being compensated in any form,” for the transaction. Village trustees said they are not being compensated by the laboratory.
Oyster Bay Cove officials said the proposed site would restore the area’s character by protecting the building and grounds. The laboratory’s plans would not affect the exterior of the home, built in 1912, they said.
“The thinking was: here’s this historic house over 100 years old. Here’s this 11-acre pristine property,” Wagner said.
Wagner said the board thought the laboratory’s presence would be preferable to “some developer coming in from wherever and chopping that property up and trying to build five homes, and a road and disrupting the property.”
One resident at the meeting spoke in favor of the proposal. Harriet Gerard-Clark said she is the executive director of the Raynham Hall Museum, which advocates for the historic preservation of sites. Gerard-Clark said she would like to see the outside of the building preserved. Residents pointed out that her husband is on the village planning board and said it could be a “conflict of interest.”
Trustee Ted Bahr said he used to live near one of the laboratory’s campus’ in Laurel Hallow and found the laboratory to be considerate and generous neighbors, paying for road repaving and brush removals.
“This was saving something. This was saving, this was preserving the character of the village,” Bahr said.
Residents said they are concerned that, if approved, the site on Sandy Hill Road will set a precedent for other institutions to build developments in the village. Village officials said the site on Sandy Hill Road is the only one that meets the qualifications laid out in the change to the zoning laws.
Wagner said a revised site proposal is going before the zoning board, which will be reviewed at the February or March meeting. He said residents will be updated on the village website.
Ains said said they feel as if the board has a better relationship with the Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory than the village residents.
Ains asked all trustees on the board to resign due to the lack of trust between the village and the residents. She said it is the “most reasonable” way to move forward.
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