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I have been to numerous meeting because I like to be informed and involved in what's happening in my community. I don't want Nesconset to turn in New Queens, along with many other people who pay high taxes and would like to maintain their quality of life. Sorry. All I can tell you is this about your personal plight: Oh well, get over it, and you can go to Checkers for the same quality of food. Waaaaahhhhh!!!!
You and Auto write the grease jokes yourselves? Don't quit the day job. I'm glad you like your BZA. I don't care about Sonic. If the process were not so suspect from the start I'd say good for the system. Meanwhile 55+ communities and anything with local "in the know" developers gets passed. Anything not.... Well, "we'll review it and have an answer in 6 months." Why do you go to numerous BZA meetings? You a fanboy or just on the team? Board approved my variance too. After alot of condescening, protracted waste of time and money. While I was sitting there waiting for my turn in front of the great Wizard, they obstructed 4 commercial projects including a guy wanting to open a salon for his daughter but needed a variance for a parking space...even though the location had been a salon for 45 years prior!! It was a fleece job, plain and simple. When the area was zoned there was no "off street parking." Now, it is required. Is the guy supposed to buy and demolish a building to make 2 parking spaces to satisfy the BZA, even though the original zoning called for ON STREET parking and every other business on the street uses metered parking? Nah, he just had to pay up some fees....or be denied. Kind of like how organized crime works. Nesconset residents? Like to see an actual poll of who really gives a rats a$$ except the dozen or so who bought next to a commercial street and don't want it sullied up with businesses. Funny that it's always Sonic. You can bet your a$$ the "health food" place will get the same runaround afrom BZA. Nimby's will say "ooo, health food" probably be a lot of long haired hippy types and medicinal pot users. We can't have that.
I live in the area but not that neighborhood. Take a look at mapquest. Put in "Alexander Ave, Nesconset, NY. Switch to satellite view.
The intersection of Alexander Ave and Middle Counter Road/25 is the proposed location. Yes it's a 100 by 150 or so plot of woods. Yes, it would lead to a LOT more traffic cutting through this residential neighborhood, as many people coming from the south west with "shortest distance" plugged into their GPS would come through there.
Now slide the fancy map over to the West, and make a left on 347/Smithtown Bypass. Now stop. You see the building on the southwest corner of 347 and 25/Jericho. It's empty (and ugly).
You see that big comma shaped parking lot on the West side of 347/S Hillside, the big strip mall? Completely vacant.
There is already plenty of land in that area to build 5 more fast food restaurants if they wanted to. There is no reason to cut down any more trees.
I live in the area but not that neighborhood. Take a look at mapquest. Put in "Alexander Ave, Nesconset, NY. Switch to satellite view.
The intersection of Alexander Ave and Middle Counter Road/25 is the proposed location. Yes it's a 100 by 150 or so plot of woods. Yes, it would lead to a LOT more traffic cutting through this residential neighborhood, as many people coming from the south west with "shortest distance" plugged into their GPS would come through there.
Now slide the fancy map over to the West, and make a left on 347/Smithtown Bypass. Now stop. You see the building on the southwest corner of 347 and 25/Jericho. It's empty (and ugly).
You see that big comma shaped parking lot on the West side of 347/S Hillside, the big strip mall? Completely vacant.
There is already plenty of land in that area to build 5 more fast food restaurants if they wanted to. There is no reason to cut down any more trees.
Coming from the dman I totally get it (credibility as a rational thinker and not a knee jerk Nimby poster child helps, plus we've had many great discussions on here). My point is about the general dysfunction of BZAs. The Hempstead Tpke Sonic that failed would have helped us out. Lighthouse Project too. Suffolk is strange. So much commercial blight (gee, even with all those "high taxes") and yet they always seem to want to develop new space. Maybe the zoning is already locked up on the existing strip mall for whatever reason. Comes back to what makes sense for the business coming in. Also, will the property owner lease the existing mall space or do they want a big chunk of the pie? Does Sonic want to buy the land? Is it easier or cheaper to build to code rather than modify existing structures/logistics? All of these questions. I'm not saying there isn't a place for the BZA or code enforcement. I'm saying in Nassau and Suffolk they lack any real credibility anymore. It's easy to use Sonic as an example. Poster boy neatly glossed over the salon owner or the pizza shop who get the same treatment. By the way, they pay taxes too.
I am straight up against the proposed apartment complex they want to drop in the middle of a residential neighborhood in Levittown. It is foolish and unnecessary. The Sonic wasn't and just would have replaced a boarded up Rita's crap ices place.
Won't waste anymore time discussing it. Can't beat the Nimbys who are all about their little hole in the wall at the expense of any reasonable development. I can accept the Sonic was a good no-vote. No problem. Defending the BZA whole cloth? Puh-leeze. Enjoy your unique suburban character. Empty "ugly" buildings and half vacant strip malls. The economy plays a part. So does an ADVERSARIAL relationship between the town's building dept. and business development.
I live in the area but not that neighborhood. Take a look at mapquest. Put in "Alexander Ave, Nesconset, NY. Switch to satellite view.
The intersection of Alexander Ave and Middle Counter Road/25 is the proposed location. Yes it's a 100 by 150 or so plot of woods. Yes, it would lead to a LOT more traffic cutting through this residential neighborhood, as many people coming from the south west with "shortest distance" plugged into their GPS would come through there.
Now slide the fancy map over to the West, and make a left on 347/Smithtown Bypass. Now stop. You see the building on the southwest corner of 347 and 25/Jericho. It's empty (and ugly).
You see that big comma shaped parking lot on the West side of 347/S Hillside, the big strip mall? Completely vacant.
There is already plenty of land in that area to build 5 more fast food restaurants if they wanted to. There is no reason to cut down any more trees.
Yup, tons of vacant buildings, lots, etc. In addition to obviously blighted buildings formerly mentioned, there's the former home of Liberty Travel that was plunked in the middle of what was once a scrub forest and set back from 347. Plenty of room for a Sonic there. My guess is there's a lot of investment value in building new rather than reno'g and rehab'g the god-awful eye-sores.
Sure, the economy has played a role in the decaying commercial real estate market in and around Smithtown, but crushing taxes, anti-business sentiment at every level of govt in NY, and ridiculous utility costs probably mean these buildings will be empty for years to come. Plenty of choices for a new SOnic!
Yup, tons of vacant buildings, lots, etc. In addition to obviously blighted buildings formerly mentioned, there's the former home of Liberty Travel that was plunked in the middle of what was once a scrub forest and set back from 347. Plenty of room for a Sonic there. !
That's actually a better location than the ones I mentioned, forgot about it.
Why dont they just build it on the Smithhaven mall lot on the other side of Alexander and middle country that no one ever parks in?
Another restaurant is going there, I can't remember which one, something Carribean. See, that location DOES make sense.
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