Woodsburgh residents debate new Woodmere Club development proposal

Woodsburgh village took their turn at voicing opinions on the new Woodmere Club development plan at Hewlett High School on June 17.

The meeting was moved from Village Hall to the school as everything connected to the club has generated much controversy and lawsuits since developers Efrem Gerszberg and Robert Weiss bought the property in 2017.

The developers previously  unveiled the new plan at a Lawrence village organized meeting on June 3, where they were met with praise. Gerszberg and Weiss bought the then 109-year-old Woodmere Club for over $9 million in 2017 assuming the club’s nearly $15 million in debt.

Roughly 50 people were in the high school auditorium. Woodsburgh residents made up the majority.

“To the extent that any final proposal includes any development in Woodsburgh, no approvals will be provided unless there is sufficient evidence that all zoning provisions, traffic studies and engineering, environmental reviews are met to ascertain that any concerns, including water issues, etc, have been appropriately addressed,” Woodsburgh village Mayor Jacob Harman said.

The new plan includes the construction of 160 age-restricted condominiums, in Woodsburgh and five residential lots off of Ivy Hill Road, and the dedication of property to the Town of Hempstead to create a turning lane on Broadway and a sidewalk on Meadow Drive as well as a 75-foot landscaped buffer and a 300-foot setback off Broadway.

Fifty acres of club property would become a conservation alliance, where development would be prohibited. The plan would also create a five-acre Lawrence Park, operational control of the club would be transferred to Woodsburgh, and a 50 foot-wide buffer space of adjoining property would be transferred to some club’s neighbors.

Weiss said that support for the plan would terminate ongoing litigation.

Gerszberg and Weiss lost a $200 million federal suit related to the town and the villages of Lawrence and Woodsburgh creating a Coastal Conservation District, which aimed to reduce development to 53 homes.

“We and the public officials have to see that there’s overwhelming support for this project before we take the next steps,” Weiss said.

Woodsburgh board of zoning appeals member Joel Weiner opposes the plan raising concerns that seniors will buy the condos, but it’s a possibility that younger people could be living there adding to the traffic volume, questioning the safety of the proposed park, and he wants to see more environmental testing accompanying this proposal.

Lauren Sobel, an Ivy Hill Road homeowner, showed images of flooding on her road, next to the proposed residential lots and several other residents expressed the same concerns. Sobel urged the Woodsburgh board to protect residents.

“I submit these photos and stories to all of you, both the board and the developers, as evidence of why it is irresponsible, dangerous and disgusting and greedy to even suggest building homes on that land,” she said.

Willow Road resident Michael Krasne, urged community members to consider the plan and thanked the board for hosting the meeting.

“I support the idea of going forward to figure out, will it work?” Krasne said. “It may not, but we’ve got to give them a chance to do the studies and come back to us,”

The Woodsburgh village board voted to continue conversation regarding the plan that was passed unanimously.

“I think from the board’s perspective, we should consider whether additional discussions should be had so that they can provide the additional information, or maybe some other alternatives,” Harman said.

Have an opinion on the latest Woodmere Club proposal? Send a letter to

jbessen@liherald.com