In the Great Slurpee War reason has triumphed over emotion.
The Village of Great Neck’s Board of Zoning Appeals has decided to approve a variance that will permit the construction of a 7-Eleven store on Middle Neck Road.
The variance allows the store to operate 24 hours a day as long as it provides a uniformed guard between the hours of 12 and 5 a.m. We doubt that in safe community like Great Neck a uniformed guard is really needed. The local police should be embarrassed by this demand.
The board needed a four-vote supermajority because of the Nassau County Planning Commission’s recommendation that the project be rejected.
Despite the passion, the arguments against the 7-Eleven never made a great deal of sense. The store is not likely to disrupt traffic and the police can make certain that it will not become some kind of dangerous hangout.
If there isn’t a demand for this kind of store, why would it cause a traffic problem? Reminds us of the old line: Nobody goes there anymore the place is too crowded.
In fact the store will provide a convenience for area residents who need a quart of milk in the middle of the night and will create jobs.
