Bavarian Inn sold to county ?

[Guest]

My husband mentioned the Bavarian Inn is being bought by the county and they plan to put a dock there? He also said that the basement is fully flooded. anyone have more info?

[Fred Gorman]

If you can, please attend The Dec. 18 meeting of the Suffolk County Legislature at the William H. Rogers Building, North County Complex, 725 Veterans Memorial Highway, Hauppauge, NY 11788-0099 ... Telephone: (631) 853-4070


Suffolk a step closer to buying Bavarian Inn
BY REID J. EPSTEIN | reid.epstein@newsday.com
December 11, 2007
Suffolk legislators took the first step yesterday toward buying the waterlogged Bavarian Inn property on Lake Ronkonkoma, prompting an aide to County Executive Steve Levy to protest the move by wearing his snorkeling gear.

The five legislators on the Environment, Planning & Agriculture Committee unanimously approved taking preliminary action toward buying the property at the urging of Legis. John M. Kennedy Jr. (R-Nesconset). But Deputy County Executive Ben Zwirn said the county would be wasting money exploring the purchase of property flooded by the rising lake.

"Mr. Kennedy has suggested most of the property found at the Lost City of Atlantis for land acquisition," said Zwirn, who donned goggles and a snorkel during the hearing.

Kennedy said the land, which sits across Smithtown Boulevard from Lake Ronkonkoma County Park and abuts the Lily Pond Park, could be turned into a handicapped-accessible fishing pier or a boat launch.

The Bavarian Inn site is 2.5 acres and has sat unused for about two years, according to Fred Gorman, the chairman of the Nesconset Sachem Civic Association. Gorman said lakefront land is selling for about $700,000 an acre. The Bavarian Inn site, Gorman said, has been on the market for about a year and its basement is flooded.

The inn's owner, Vincent Tramontana, could not be reached for comment yesterday. If the county were to purchase the property, Tramontana would be liable for the cost of demolishing the restaurant's building, parking lot and underground septic system, legislators said. Zwirn estimated it would cost between $10,000 and $15,000 to make the acquisition assessment.

The full legislature is scheduled to vote next Tuesday on whether to authorize that action


NESCONSET ….
Bavarian Inn site discussed
Engineers still working to come up with a plan
Nissequoque River and adjacent areas to be dreged.

Monday night in Fred Gorman’s home, Lake Grove, Nesconset and Ronkonkoma Community members, civic leaders and town council candidates met with County Legislator John Kennedy to discuss his proposal to have the county purchase the Bavarian Inn.

Attending the meeting were Kevin Hyms, candidate for the Brookhaven Town Council. Tom Cleere, candidate for the Smithtown Town Council, Nesconset Chamber of Commerce, Nesconset-Sachem Civic Asociation, Lake Ronkonkoma Civic Organization, Ronkonkoma Chamber of Commerce, W.S. Commerdinger, Jr County Park Preservation Society, Sea Kayaking Skills and Adventure and several residents.

Larry Holzapfel, publisher and lake historian discussed how the Inn began as a small diner and eventually became a catering hall.

Kennedy explained since the catering hall was shut down by the Department of Health because of flooding, the owners are paying huge expenses without income to support them. Because of the extensive water damage and continued threat, the basement would have to be filled in and financing for repairs would be difficult. Currently the property is listed at $1 million. Before it flooded it was listed at $3 million.

It is now possible that the cost of the Inn’s property could fall within the County’s purchase guidelines. Kennedy said “We usually don’t buy businesses, we buy dirt and buildings on it” Once the county had the property appraised and put an offer out, there would be no zoning or finance issues. Other potential purchases would problems in obtaining financing and have serious issue with zoning

The civic leaders envisioned number of proposals, including a community center, boat launch, fishing pier, a paddle boat and canoe shop and ice skating access, with a nice concession similar to Smith Point Park.

Kennedy urged the attendees to send letters of support to Suffolk County Environment , Planning and Agriculture Committee William Rogers Legislative Building, 727 Veterans Memorial Highway , Hauppauge, NY and attend the county’s next meeting at 1:00 PM on Friday November 9th . He noted that when the County sees community support it is more likely to take action.

Other exciting news mentioned by Kennedy was the ongoing flow of ideas and meetings of engineers from the three municipalities bordering the lake, The County, Army Corps of Engineers and the U.S. Geological Survey. He also mentioned that the legislature would be reviewing a $500,00 dredging proposal for the Nissequoque River and adjacent areas this Thursday.

[Dry For Now]

We should all invite Steve Levy into the homes damaged by the rising water and see if he calls them an eyesore to our faces....How can the owner of the Bavarian Inn pay his taxes if he has no income because of the floods!? How do you sleep at night Mr. Levy???


From Suffolk Life

12/19/2007
Levy: 'No Room At Inn' For Legislation
By:Hank Russell

Despite the Suffolk County Legislature's Environmental, Planning and Agriculture Committee's unanimous passage of a resolution that would allow the county to purchase the Bavarian Inn property, Suffolk County Executive Steve Levy has indicated that he would not sign the bill into law if the Legislature were to pass the bill. The full Legislature was scheduled to vote on the bill yesterday, December 18, which occurred after press time.


As previously reported, Legislator John Kennedy (R-Hauppauge) introduced a resolution in which the county would undergo planning steps under the Suffolk County Multifaceted Land Preservation Program before buying the 2.5-acre parcel located on Smithtown Boulevard. This would include surveying and appraising the property, conducting a title search and performing an environmental audit.
"I'm pleased it got through the committee," said Kennedy. "My colleagues thought it was equally important to acquire [the property]."
But Levy's spokesperson, Mark Smith, said the county executive would not consider purchasing the land. "It was never the intention of the [county's] open space or parkland program to bail out depressed properties or failed businesses," Smith said.
While he respects Levy for his fiscal conservatism, Smithtown attorney John Zollo, who represents the property's owner, Vincent Tramontana, said, "He should reconsider because of the unusual set of circumstances, some of which was not my client's doing."
Smith noted the constant flooding in the parking lot that overflows into the building's basement. "It's not a wise investment of time or effort to explore this process," he said. But Zollo added that "someone should be held accountable" for the flooding problem. "This caused Tramontana to lose his business," he said.
Despite the available financial resources in the county's Quarter-Cent Drinking Water Protection Program and the Save Open Spaces Bond Act, Smith said, "We have a finite amount of money and an even more finite amount of time."
The Bavarian Inn property received a rating of 42 in the county's Open Space Rating System, which, according to Kennedy, was "the highest score of any parcel that I put forward in my three years as a legislator." He said he found it "somewhat odd" that Levy would consider vetoing the bill.
Suffolk's open space rating system is used to determine whether it is necessary for the county to purchase open space. Some of the criteria the Bavarian Inn property met included public access to the waterways; proposed recreational use; proximity to another public recreational area; and accessibility from roadways.
Kennedy noted the property's location near the county-owned Lake Ronkonkoma County Park on Shore Road. "I see this property as very compatible with the adjoining park property," he said.
"It's a very high score, based on the water view, the vistas and its being contiguous with the county's Lilly Pond [Park and Nature] Preserve," said Legislator Vivian Viloria-Fisher (D-Port Jefferson), who also is chair of the Environmental, Planning and Agriculture Committee. "You want to bring in that property and the surrounding waters into county ownership so that you can have a good water management plan."
Before a purchase price can be determined, the appraisal process has to take place, according to Viloria-Fisher. Appraisal estimates for the property were as high as $3 million, but because of the basement being constantly flooded out, the number tumbled to $1 million. There was also talk of either demolishing the building or keeping it and converting it into a community center.
Smith called the proposed land purchase a "fire sale," in which legislators buy the property and then decide what to do with it, rather than state the intention of the property's purchase before introducing legislation.
If the county were to purchase the property and tear down the building, the cost of demolition would be borne by Tramontana, according to Viloria-Fisher.
Although he acknowledged that people see the shuttered building as "an eyesore," Smith said the money from both the Quarter-Cent Drinking Water Protection Program and the Save Open Spaces Bond Act is to be used as "an open space fund, not an eyesore removal fund."
Stating that Tramontana has been delinquent on taxes, with $29,000 owed to the county for the last six months in 2006, Smith said the county could take title on the property as a default on payment by March 2009. "This would remove the need for spending open space money," he said.
When asked about Tramontana's alleged outstanding debt to the county, Zollo said he is not involved with Tramontana's finances. "If that's what the county's records indicate, then that would be the case," Zollo said.
While Levy is expected to veto the bill, Viloria-Fisher believes a legislative override would follow. However, Kennedy is more confident that Levy will approve the measure. "I have reason to believe the Legislature will pass the bill and I'll expect the county executive to sign it," Kennedy said. "If not, we'll look at the process again down the road. We're taking this matter step by step."

[Guest]

So what is happening now?

[jolojim]

Bavarian Inn sold to county and some of the criteria the Bavarian Inn property met included public access to the waterways; proposed recreational use; proximity to another public recreational area; and accessibility from roadways. So that might be a reason.


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