Southern Land Company Submits Draft Environmental Impact Statement for Port Washington Development Project

Findings Reflect Positive Impacts

Port Washington, New York (July 7, 2022)—Southern Land Company (SLC), the developer proposing an environmental remediation and luxury multifamily housing community at 145 West Shore Road in Port Washington, has submitted a draft environmental impact statement (DEIS) to the Town of North Hempstead Board for review and comments.

The DEIS includes findings from multiple studies conducted by third-party consultants pertaining to the proposed development project, including anticipated impact on the environment and waterfront, traffic, school district, and more. The findings of the studies confirm that the transformative project would not incur any negative impacts on the environment or greater community.  In fact, the project would provide tangible benefits to the community and the Town of North Hempstead as a whole. 

“The findings included in this draft environmental impact statement confirm that our vision for 145 West Shore Road will make Port Washington a better place to live by undertaking a multi-million-dollar clean-up of this property, providing newfound tax revenue, and offering members of the Town of North Hempstead community an opportunity for quality living and gathering space,” said Southern Land Company Founder and CEO Tim Downey. “What currently sits as an undeveloped property in the community that is affecting the local ecosystem will be transformed into a beautiful development, complete with plentiful green space and amenities for all to enjoy.” 

Key findings included in the DEIS follow:

Environmental Impact

In addition to the extensive, multi-million-dollar environmental cleanup efforts planned by Southern Land Company, there is an expectation for several other environmental benefits to the overall area as a result of the proposed development project, including:

• A decrease of the potential for soil erosion and minimization of irrigation demands to help conserve and protect water;
• An increased population of birds and other local wildlife on the site; and
• A net increase in tidal wetland habitat. 

Traffic Impact

A traffic impact study was prepared to provide a comprehensive evaluation of the potential traffic impacts associated with the proposed development project. Principal roadways studied include West Shore Road, Main Street in Roslyn, Old Northern Boulevard, Beacon Hill Road, Port Washington Boulevard (NYS Route 101), Longview Road, Main Street in Port Washington, and South Bayles Avenue. Additionally, at the request of the Town of North Hempstead, ten (10) intersections were studied. These intersections and details of how the study methodology are included in the DEIS. 

The following conclusions have been developed, based on the results of the traffic impact study:

• The proposed redevelopment of the 145 West Shore Road site would, when split by direction, result in one additional vehicle every two minutes traveling on West Shore Road. It would generate only a minimal amount of peak period traffic on West Shore Road.
• The traffic generated by the redeveloped site can be accommodated on the adjacent roadways and intersections without significant negative impacts to traffic conditions on these roadways.
• The proposed site access plan is well developed, sufficient to serve the needs of the site, and will operate well with low delays.
• The proposed site redevelopment is not expected to unduly influence the rate of crash occurrence in the study area. 
• The project-generated traffic will result in no significant impact on the study intersections.
• The parking to be provided for the site exceeds the projected peak parking demand based upon industry standards and is sufficient to meet the needs of the residences, the marina, and the public spaces.

In addition to the aforementioned findings, the development will feature a shuttle service running to and from the Port Washington LIRR station during peak hours to cut down on rush hour traffic.

School Impact

Another key finding outlined in the DEIS is that the proposed redevelopment project is expected to produce approximately 14 public school-aged children, resulting in no adverse impact on educational facilities within the Port Washington Union Free School District. Moreover, the school district’s cost for this number of children would be easily offset by a $1 million upfront payment to the school district by SLC and an additional amount of $16 million to be allocated to the district via property tax revenue.

Public Benefits and Amenities

SLC aims to secure approval on the 145 West Shore Road development project and introduce public benefits and amenities as well as a much-needed multifamily rental housing solution to Port Washington. Key components of SLC’s proposed development include:  

• A full multimillion-dollar environmental cleanup of 145 West Shore Road to remove industrial waste, pollutants, and safety hazards;
• 55,000 square feet of open green space;
• A public marina with 20 to 30 boat slips;
• A 700-foot-long public promenade that would connect to North Hempstead Beach Park
• A 300-foot-long public educational viewing pier with programming for family-friendly events; and
• 176 luxury rental apartments.

About Southern Land Company

Southern Land Company is a national real estate developer headquartered in Nashville, Tenn., with regional offices in Greenwich, Conn.; Philadelphia, Penn.; Dallas, Texas; Denver, Colo.; and Vallejo, Calif. Founded by CEO Tim Downey in 1986, the company upholds stringent standards for design and quality in their single-family, multifamily, mixed-use, and hospitality developments. The fully integrated company combines a comprehensive set of services spanning the entire development cycle, including planning, design, construction, and marketing. The holistic business model enhances innovation and long-term viability on which investors, residents, and partners can rely. The current project pipeline is valued at over $2 billion. To learn more visit www.southernland.com.