The Town of Babylon Town Board on Monday voted to close public hearings on two site plan applications in Deer Park but reserved decisions on both, leaving the written record open for further comment.
The first application calls for more than $2 million in renovations to the Deer Park Motor Inn, which would be rebranded as a Choice Hotels 'Quality' branded motel. The project team, including architect Richard Meusch and expediter Kelly Bennett, told the board the 46-unit motel would get new facades, a landscaping buffer for neighboring homes and dark-sky compliant lighting.
Because the plan provides 62 parking stalls where current code requires 89, the applicant will need a parking variance. The applicant's attorney argued that occupancy rates of 60 to 80 percent and increased use of ride-hailing services mean the reduced parking will be adequate.
A board member asked about the motel's reputation and hours of operation. The board then voted to close the hearing and reserve its decision, with the record remaining open for written comments.
The second application would redevelop a long-vacant corner at Deer Park Avenue and Long Island Avenue into a Metro Physical Therapy office and cafe.
Traffic engineer Nicholas Tortorella cited a parking study at a similar Metro PT facility to support the project's design. "The maximum parking demand that we observed from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. on multiple days was 12 total parked vehicles," he said.
One said, "So me personally, I am not for this, because it is going to cause major problems." Another called the intersection a "death trap" and said, "we've had fatalities, as you all know." A third said, "It's a very dangerous intersection. People don't let you in and out," and asked whether the applicant could consider an entrance on Deer Park Avenue instead.
Tortorella responded that on a corner lot, design principle requires providing access from the side street when possible, and said of a Deer Park Avenue entrance, "I gotta be honest, they wouldn't because it's a corner," citing state Department of Transportation requirements.
Board members pressed the applicant's representatives on how overflow parking would be prevented and whether the site would be monitored overnight. The representatives said private parking could be enforced but said they could not answer questions about daily sweeps without consulting their client. One board member said, "studies aren't realities" and that residents who testified understand the area's traffic problems firsthand.
The applicant's representatives said they would be open to conditions requiring overnight security and enforcement against improper parking. The board then voted to close the hearing and reserve its decision, with the motion seconded by a board member identified as Dan.
The Planning Department said residents can follow the applications or submit written comments at Town Hall's west wing, by phone or by email to the planning comments address.