The Huntington Zoning Board of Appeals on Friday approved a special use permit and several variances allowing a vacant former Mini dealership at 950 East Jericho Turnpike to reopen as a motorsports service, parts and outdoor storage facility for ATVs and personal watercraft.
The board granted the permit along with parking, signage and setback variances for the 0.33-acre site, according to attorney Tara Visconti, who represented the applicant.
Traffic engineer Wayne Muller told the board the use would generate minimal traffic and that existing parking would be adequate, while real estate expert Michael Lynch testified the corridor is already dominated by motor-vehicle-related businesses. "This stretch of corridor of East Jericho is all motor vehicle related," Lynch said.
A resident speaking on behalf of his fiancee, who lives behind the dealership, objected during the hearing, citing trucks parking in travel lanes on the turnpike and questioning the traffic study submitted with the application. Visconti separately clarified that her client does not own a neighboring property that had mistakenly received a violation notice.
The board reserved decision on a separate application involving a retaining wall at 427 Wolf Hill Road, after a neighbor detailed four years of flooding, mud and construction damage he said the project caused and urged denial. "I respectfully request that the board denied the request. This application is just beyond anyone's approach," he said.
In other business, the board approved hiring the engineering firm H2M for up to $6,100, to be paid through escrow, to evaluate retaining wall issues tied to a separate application on Hemingway Drive.