Critics decry new Franklin Square church

Residents fearing a traffic nightmare spoke out against a church moving to Franklin Square Wednesday. Residents said at a public hearing that a new development would worsen traffic on Hempstead Turnpike,

News 12 Staff

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Jun 20, 2007, 11:10 PM

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Updated 6,544 days ago

Residents fearing a traffic nightmare spoke out against a church moving to Franklin Square Wednesday.

Residents said at a public hearing that a new development would worsen traffic on Hempstead Turnpike, as well as further an already problematic lack of parking.

The Gateway World Christian Center wishes to form a church at 820 Hempstead Turnpike. Bill Cohn, a church attorney, said the church would mostly be used for mass on Sundays, when traffic eases.

Some expressed concern the town would have to compensate for lost revenue by raising taxes if the site were turned into a tax-exempt holy place. An abandoned office building currently sits on the lot.

Cohn also firmly denied a rumor circulating that the group intended to operate a methadone clinic on the premises.

The Town of Hempstead Board of Appeals plans to reach a decision within 30-60 days.