In a unanimous decision Tuesday night, the Glen Cove City Council rejected a controversial proposal to open a group home to treat women with eating disorders at a historic brick house on St. Andrews Lane.

"It's one of the areas in Glen Clove that has these majestic estates and the type of neighborhood that it is, it doesn't seem like it would fit in in that neighborhood," says Mayor Timothy Tenke.

Tenke suggested that the for-profit company Monte Nido build the residence at 145 Dosoris Lane or at 12 Walnut Road. The attorney for Monte Nido says the company is weighing its options.

Another issue debated at City Hall was a proposal to build luxury homes near Glen Cove Mansion. Willie Wang, who bought the nearly 55-acre mansion property in 2014, wants to build 40 semi-detached homes in an area off Lattingtown Road.

Wang says profits from the development would be reinvested into the mansion.

"The development profit will also be steered to further the investment in the mansion in Glen Cove like continuing to restore the facility and preserve its historic and special character," he says.

But neighbors, including Al Silverman, are concerned about the loss of open space.

"It's crazy. This is the only green land that you have there. They haven't taken care of the land across the street in 30 years," he says. "Nobody's ever cleaned it. So, now they're going to build 40 houses?"

Neighbors are also concerned about the development's strain on the utility and sewer system.
"I have trouble believing that 40 additional units aren't going to tax an already overtaxed system," says Caroline Dilgard-Clark.

Wang's attorney, Kathleen Deegan-Dickson, says they've modified the development plans to address those concerns.

"There are problems in the area with other pump stations that we're not going to be involved in, so Long Meadow has a pump station that has never worked properly. We're going to stay away from that and have pump stations on our own property," she says.