In the low-lying southern coastal areas of the Village and the adjacent contiguous Town and Village of Lawrence there are located golf courses that have been in place for more than a century, which natural, open spaces provide not only recreation but a natural mitigation against adverse impacts on the environment and, therefore, the well-being and safety of the entire region.

Climate change is becoming the defining environmental issue of our time, particularly for vulnerable, low-lying coastal areas. This change has taken shape already, in the form of more frequent and intense storms, sea level rise and extreme flooding. It is no longer a future endeavor, but rather a sound planning imperative that the Village, the Town and the Village of Lawrence immediately address ongoing and future conditions, including greater risks of flooding presented by sea level rise and enhanced storm surge, inland flooding expected to result from increasingly frequent extreme precipitation events and the increased risk of compound flooding, resulting from simultaneous storm surge and heavy precipitation. Through proper and coordinated regulation, the Village intends to do its part in preserving the health, safety and well-being of residents in the area of the Woodmere Club and the surrounding community.

Along the coast, and particularly in low-lying coastal areas, it is imperative that the Village, Town and the Village of Lawrence, as stewards of the environment and protectors of their community safety, health and welfare, assure that flood risk mitigation measures effectively preserve the floodplain and surrounding areas. As the Department of Environmental Conservation has expressed, the goal of managing the floodplain is not only to ensure that new development is reasonably safe from flooding, but to address existing risks, to avoid increasing risk to others and to sustain natural capacities to slow and diffuse flood flows. Reducing development in flood-prone areas allows the natural landscape to absorb more floodwaters, reduce flooding to adjacent areas, recharge groundwater and sustain a healthy ecosystem.

As a result of declining golf participation and membership at eighteen-hole golf clubs, golf courses are closing, including The Woodmere Club. The land of The Woodmere Club ("The Woodmere Club Property") is approximately 118.4 acres in size and is located partially in the Village (approximately 40.5 acres), the Town (approximately 55 acres) and Village of Lawrence (approximately 22.9 acres).

As a result, this large and mostly open coastal area, spanning the boundaries of these three contiguous municipalities, is vulnerable to residential and commercial development, seriously threatening both this environmentally sensitive coastal area, and the well-being of the Village, the Town, the Village of Lawrence and the region as a whole, and which potential adverse impacts and loss of existing open space will not be adequately mitigated by existing and inconsistent zoning regulations in both the contiguous Town and Villages with respect to permissible development, lot size, lot coverage, density, building height and site-specific development regulations.

It is the belief of the Village, in coordination with the contiguous Town and Village of Lawrence, that, unless addressed, the loss of this existing open space to over-development in the environmentally sensitive coastal area of the Village presents an immediate threat to the public health and safety of the Village, the adjacent Town and Village of Lawrence, and the region as a whole, and can best be mitigated, and the additional benefits accomplished, with the coordinated creation of matching complimentary Coastal Conservation Districts in each municipality in conjunction with the adjacent contiguous Town and Village of Lawrence.

The Woodmere Club Property is located in a relatively vulnerable, low-lying coastal area, well within special flood hazard area (100-year floodplain) and the New York State Coastal Boundary Area. The Woodmere Club Property is also impacted by shallow groundwater conditions. The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYS DEC) has identified the presence of Significant Natural Communities and Rare Plants and Animals at The Woodmere Club Property. The Woodmere Club Property has also been identified by the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation, and Historic Preservation (OPRHP) as a potentially-archeologically sensitive area. Given the presence of these environmental and cultural resources, the Village intends to provide for a cluster development, in accordance with Village Law § 7-738, with reduced lot size requirements, in this area to properly conserve and protect the low-lying, vulnerable coastal area and natural area and resources.

It also is the intent of the Village to protect significant local historic resources and the character of those resources within the Village. As Woodsburgh and the contiguous Village of Lawrence and Town consider the Woodmere Clubhouse a prominent community asset, given its history associated with the community and the Woodmere Club property, this article will preserve and enhance the Clubhouse and its associated hospitality services by permitting continued use of the Clubhouse and providing measures for limited expansion within previously paved or covered areas in a way that retains the use and the historic character of the Clubhouse building and associated amenities.

A traditional subdivision layout with a minimum lot size of one acre (43,560 square feet) and two acres (87,120 square feet) within the 40.5-acre Village portion of the course would have a gross yield approximately 39 lots, but the net yield would be reduced significantly when accounting for area regulations, open space and/or parkland reservation, roadway and infrastructure elements and reserved drainage areas. Cluster-style development provided herein and in the contiguous Town of Hempstead and Village of Lawrence portions of the Woodmere Club property provides for the preservation of some of the most sensitive environmental portions of the property, while permitting sustainable residential development utilizing a cluster subdivision technique within all three municipalities. In so doing, the CC-WC District provides for smaller lots, and larger homes, while preserving the natural, protective and scenic qualities of the Village and the Woodmere Club Property. Sustainable design elements will be required in all residential development applications, incorporating a sustainable approach and low-impact development principles.

While the Village recognizes its responsibility to provide for a properly balanced and well-ordered plan of development and land uses within its community, it also recognizes that, in enacting local zoning, consideration must be given to regional needs and requirements, and that there must be a balancing of the local desire to maintain the status quo within the community and the greater public interest that regional needs be met.

The New York State General Municipal Law, Section 239-NN, indicates the intent and purpose of State of New York to encourage the coordination of land use development and regulation among adjacent municipalities in order that each adjacent municipality may recognize the goals and objectives of neighboring municipalities, and as a result development occurs in a manner which is supportive of the goals and objectives of the general area, and neighboring municipalities.

Pursuant to Article 8, Sections 1 and 2-a of the New York State Constitution, as effectuated by General Municipal Law Article 5-J, Section 119-u, Village Law Section 7-741, and Town Law Section 284, the Village, Town, and the Village of Lawrence agreed to coordinate regulation and entered into an intermunicipal cooperation planning and land use regulation agreement (the "intermunicipal cooperation agreement") with the purpose of undertaking mutually beneficial, shared and coordinated comprehensive planning and land use regulation for the Woodmere Club Property in order to promote intergovernmental cooperation, increase coordination and effectiveness of comprehensive planning and land use regulation, and make more efficient use of infrastructure and municipal revenues and resources, as to enhance the protection of community resources which span municipal boundaries.

It is in that spirit, and pursuant to agreement of all three municipalities to work together and the in accordance with the intermunicipal cooperation agreement, that the Village, in, in conjunction and coordination with the adjacent contiguous Town and Village of Lawrence, adopts and creates the Coastal Conservation District - Woodmere Club (CC-WC), for the Village of Woodsburgh.

The proposed Coastal Conservation District-Woodmere Club (CC-WC District) represents an intermunicipal plan that addresses current and future physical climate risk changes due to sea level rise, storm surge and flooding. The district recognizes these impacts in relation to the unique geographical setting of the property at the Woodmere Channel terminus, its historical and environmentally and ecologically sensitive setting, and the anticipated flood impacts associated with this location. The risks to both private and public, and existing and future development, from flooding in this location under current and anticipated future conditions, necessitates multi-jurisdictional regulation guided by preservation and protection. The CC-WC District incorporates climate change considerations, while preserving both existing development and infrastructure, as well as protecting future development, including development on the Club property, from thte virtual certainty of increasing flood risks as time progresses.

The CC-WC District establishes three Subdistricts to ensure the preservation of existing open space and regulate development in a manner that is compatible with area zoning and development patterns. The Open Space/Recreation Subdistrict and the Single-Family Residential Subdistrict both include portions of the Village and the contiguous Town of Hempstead and Village of Lawrence, while the Clubhouse/Hospitality Subdistrict is located wholly within the Village. The three Subdistricts are described in § 150-110 of this article.

The creation of this district, in coordination with the contiguous municipalities is intended to preserve the Village's natural resources and environmental features, while also preserving community character and the economic value of other properties in the neighborhood in and about the Woodmere Club property. Special consideration is provided for sustainable design elements, which will help to mitigate flood impacts, preserve open space, decrease stormwater runoff, improve local water quality and reduce traffic impacts. The regulations contained within this article have been designed to be compatible and complementary with other permitted land uses in the area and contiguous municipalities and protect the character of their existing and developed residential communities.

The Vision Plan establishes goals and a vision for the future of the Village, in general and specifically regarding certain areas to be incorporated into new proposed zoning districts. The Vision Plan establishes the following Village-wide goals: (a) protect the existing community character and development pattern in the Village; (b) maintain the Village's existing residential and open space/recreational character; (c) preserve and protect the existing natural resources within the Village including surface waters, floodplains, groundwater, wildlife and habitats; (d) preserve existing open space and recreation, as well as provide new open space and recreational opportunities for the community; (e) preserve and enhance local historic resources and important views that define the character and sense of place of the community; (f) protect and promote the Village's existing road pattern, improve traffic flow to minimize high volumes of traffic on Village roadways and enhance the pedestrian network to maintain safe pedestrian pathways; and (g) ensure that existing community services have the capacity to serve the Village and any potential developments in the future. The CC-WC District is designed with these goals in mind.

The Board also finds that the CC-WC District is consistent with the Conceptual Land Use Plan contained in the Vision Plan. The CC-WC District includes three subdistricts, each consistent with the land use policy preferences established in the Vision Plan. The Conceptual Land Use Plan identifies conceptual, and distinct, zoning districts applicable to the Woodmere Club Property. These include (a) "Active Recreation/Village Guest Lodging" district encompassing the portion of the Woodmere Club Property containing the Woodmere Clubhouse, adjacent parking areas, athletic facilities and associated landscaping, and recognizing the historic use of this area for more than 100 years, and (b) "Recreation/Very Low Density Residential II" district encompassing the Woodmere Club property, excluding the Active Recreation/Village Guest Lodging. The Open Space/Recreation Subdistrict and the Single-Family Residential Subdistrict comport with the Recreation/Very Low Density Residential II District, and the Clubhouse/Hospitality Subdistrict comports with the Active Recreation/Village Guest Lodging District, identified in the Vision Plan. The Vision Plan recommends proposed clustering development to preserve sensitive environmental resources and protect against the impacts of flooding and the loss of stormwater absorption points, in the Recreation/Very Low Density Residential II District, and the CC-WC District incorporates that recommendation. The Vision Plan also identifies Village residents' vision to retain the historically important clubhouse, while providing for adaptive uses, including a community center and/or limited overnight accommodations.

The Single-Family Residential Subdistrict (approximately 29.4 acres of the approximately 118.4-acre Woodmere Club Property) comprises two distinct development clusters, one straddling the boundaries of the Villages of Woodsburgh and Lawrence portions of The Woodmere Club Property (8.3 acres within the Village of Woodsburgh and approximately 1.8 acres within the Village of Lawrence, for a total of 10.1 acres in both Villages) and one in the Town of Hempstead portion of The Woodmere Club Property (approximately 19.3 acres in size). These clusters, zoned for residential housing (religious and educational uses permitted by special exception), will allow compatible development between all three municipalities (including development in the Town of Hempstead that is compatible with the existing one-acre minimum lot zoning in the Village of Woodsburgh and the 40,000-square-foot minimum lot zoning in the Village of Lawrence), while retaining significantly more natural resources and open space than provided for in previous zoning and land use regulations.

Within this subdistrict, any proposed lot that straddles the boundaries of the Village of Woodsburgh and the Village of Lawrence shall be subject to the zoning and building permit jurisdiction of the municipality in which the larger portion of any principal building will be located, as such building is shown on the original subdivision map approved by the respective jurisdictions.

Golf course - private or semi-private, including practice golf areas such as putting greens and practice pitching/sand bunker areas.

Passive parkland, including walking trails, nature observation areas and passive recreation features.

Accessory structures and uses, which are customarily incidental to any of the above-permitted uses, including maintenance buildings not greater than 500 square feet with a maximum height of 16 feet and pavilion/shelter areas not greater than 400 square feet with a maximum height of 16 feet, are permitted. Setbacks for accessory structures within the Open Space/Recreation Subdistrict shall be 100 feet from both perimeter property lines and residential homes. Not more than one such accessory structure per seven acres is permitted in this subdistrict.

Single-family detached dwelling.

Accessory uses on the same lot with and customarily incidental to the above-permitted use, including a private garage, are permitted.

Continuation of existing use (clubhouse associated with a private or semi-private golf course).

Adaptive reuse of the existing clubhouse for guest accommodations, including a boutique inn providing up to 15 guest rooms. Any such reuse shall result in no net increase in lot coverage currently existing in this subdistrict.

Adaptive reuse as a clubhouse for non-club members, including a boutique inn providing up to 15 guest rooms. Any such reuse shall result in no net increase in lot coverage currently existing in this subdistrict.

Community center with passive parkland.

Religious uses and educational uses with a special use permit, authorized by the Board of Trustees.

Any proposed use shall result in no net increase in lot coverage, in relation to existing lot coverage in this subdistrict.

Sales or service of food and drinks for on-site consumption, as a principal use or an accessory to any other use permitted in this subdistrict, with a special permit authorized by the Board of Trustees.

Single-Family Residential Subdistrict: Access right-of-way shall be provided off Meadow Drive (to be located 250 feet to the center line of the new right-of-way south of Broadway) and off Keene Lane (to be located 280 feet to the center line of the new right-of-way northwest of Rutherford Lane). Emergency access rights-of-way shall be provided at the southern terminus of Lotus Street and the northwestern terminus of Tulip Street, in the Town of Hempstead.

Clubhouse/Hospitality Subdistrict: An access right-of-way shall be provided at the intersection of Meadow Drive and Keene Lane. The requirements for subdivision development within the CC-WC shall comply with all state and local regulations, including compliance with Nassau County Ordinance No. 46-2009, and obtain all necessary approvals as required by law.

Cornices, eaves, gutters, chimneys or bay windows projecting not more than 24 inches.

Air-conditioning condenser units, emergency generators, basement stairs and basement areaways, projecting not more than 36 inches into one of the required side or rear yards.

Driveway piers not exceeding four feet in height.

Exclusive of encroachments permitted under this section and structures approved by Board of Appeals grant, second-story additions above existing permitted one-story structures may project into any required yard, provided that they do not extend beyond the wall of the existing structure.