Floral Park Board trustees voted Tuesday to approve plans for a highly protested lot subdivision at 32 Orchid St. and held a public hearing for a taxi company that applied to operate in town

The architectural review board first held a meeting on Feb. 21 to discuss the subdivision of 32 Orchid St. in which builders would demolish an existing house and replace it with two new houses.

Residents opposed the plans, citing an aesthetic clash with other neighborhood homes and questioning the legality of the size of the homes.

“The concerns that you express are all very consistent and, I believe, very authentic and very real,” Trustee Lynn Pombonyo said.

But board members say they do not have jurisdiction over what was built on the lot. Rather, trustees voted to approve the subdivision of the lot itself. The house plans fall to the architectural review board.

“My answer to ‘Why would I vote for this?’ is because I am told that it is a legal requirement that we vote for it and I, as a trustee, will not vote for something that is against the law, even though I agree with so many of you and I appreciate your feelings about your block and green space and character of your homes and character of your properties,” Pombonyo said.

The proposed lot subdivision seeks to split the lot at 32 Orchid St. into two 40-by-100-foot lots. Pombonyo said there are already many 40-by-100-foot lots in Floral Park.

At earlier meetings, residents questioned the legality of the subdivision and whether a variance was needed. Board members and the village attorney said the subdivision is legal.

“I’ve heard from many different people that a 40-by-100 lot is perfectly legal and I’ve seen them in other parts of the neighborhood, but it’s not Orchid Street,” a resident named Kathy said. “And I think many people know Orchid Street is a very desirable street for people to buy homes on … and so I feel kind of betrayed by the trustees.”

Kathy said that if the lot subdivision is legal, then the trustees should work to change those guidelines for future applicants.

But Pombonyo said trustees do not have the authority to change lot subdivision guidelines. She said property buyers have rights, including subdividing a property lot within town guidelines.

Four residents spoke out against the subdivision at the meeting, and one resident sent in a letter to the meeting to be read on their behalf. Most residents cited aesthetic issues with the lot subdivision and the preliminary house building plans.

“I live right across the street from the property that we mentioned and I’m not looking forward to what I have to look at,” Kathy said. “We pay a lot of taxes to live in Nassau County and I don’t want to live in a home or street that looks like Ridgewood.”

Kathy said the subdivision is a “money grab” and conveys a “sense of greed” on the part of the trustees.

Residents’ aesthetic complaints included a lack of greenery in the proposed house-building plans. A member of the architectural review board said there will be ample greenery on the property according to the house plans.

Residents also worried that subdivision, and the proposed two houses to be built on the lots, would worsen population density, overcrowd public schools and contribute to weak water pressure, which one resident claimed is already an issue on Orchid Street.

New houses on the block would not affect water pressure, said John Ryan, village attorney and chairman of the Western Nassau County Water Authority.

“I am unaware of any complaints regarding low water pressure in the Orchid Street area, and if there were, those complaints should be made to the water authority and the system can be adjusted accordingly. We do have that ability,” Ryan said.

Mayor Kevin Fitzgerald announced that Rep. Anthony D’Esposito secured $4.05 million for Floral Park to be used for a drainage project in the west end of the village. The drainage project will be going to bid shortly, Fitzgerald said.

The board held a public hearing for a taxi company application. Blu Taxi is hoping to replace the town’s previous taxi service.

The Blu Taxi dispatcher will operate out of 99 Tulip Ave. The company currently has five cars. The cars are former police cars circa 2010 with white with blue lettering.

The Blu Taxi owner said the company, which is five years old and operates within the New Hyde Park and Mineola area, has an account with a car wash service and taxi cars are cleaned twice a week. Smoking of all kinds is prohibited for drivers and passengers.

Customers can call or text to request a taxi. Requests can be made in advance or on the spot.

The next Floral Park board of trustees meeting is April 10 at 8 p.m. at 1 Floral Blvd., Floral Park. The April 10 meeting is a budget meeting.