Village of Mineola Mayor Scott Strauss suspended a hearing on a proposed 24-hour gas station and convenience store at 449 Jericho Turnpike after three hours of comments in opposition by area residents on Wednesday.
Strauss said he wanted to give other residents who had not spoken the chance to comment at a continuation of the hearing on Nov. 13.
The owners of the location, Bolla Management Corp., had at the outset of the meeting presented plans for a gas station and convenience store on Jericho Turnpike between White and Latham roads in an area that abuts a residential neighborhood in support of a special-use permit.
The plan immediately drew strong objections from 90 residents who filled the village board meeting room and periodically interrupted Bola’s presentation.
“The traffic is going to be so increased, it’s going to be a danger to our children,” said White Road resident Maria McCarey, who presented a petition that she said bore 124 signatures of her neighbors who were opposed to the gas station.
“Tell Bolla Management to build a 24-hour gas station somewhere else,” McCary said.
Bolla president and CEO Harry Singh defended his plan for the property, which is currently empty but formerly housed a gas station.
“I’ve been up front with all the residents,” Singh said. “We’re not coming in here with a big gun to do what we want to do.”
Singh said he owns or leases 85 gas stations and most have increased the property values where they are located.
Mineola Deputy Mayor Paul Pereira expressed concern over the way Bolla has maintained the empty lot since he bought it 18 months ago.
“If the way you’ve treated that property since you’ve owned it is an indication of how you’re going to operate it going forward, I’m less than impressed,” Pereira said.
Singh said he planned to invest $2.5 million in developing the site, which has been vacant since a Getty service station there burned down five years ago.
Gas station repair shops are “not viable anymore” because auto diagnostics typically require service at car dealerships, Singh said. So the 42 stations his company owns and operates in New York all have convenience stores for additional income.
Chris Tartaglia of Highpoint Engineering said the proposed gas station would have six gas islands capable of fueling 12 cars simultaneously. The convenience store will be set back 60 feet from Jericho Turnpike on the property, as permitted by variances granted by the village board of zoning, he said, and a six-foot wall will be constructed behind the store and 14-foot evergreens would be planted there as well.
Tartaglia said commercial businesses flank the side on both Latham and White roads.
“Nobody’s home is adjacent to this site,” he said, drawing reaction from residents.
He said lighting on the site would be “minimal” LED lighting, which he said produces “very little light scatter.”
Charles Olivo, owner of Stonefield Engineering and Design, retained by Bolla for traffic analysis, said 2,000 vehicles pass the Jericho Turnpike location in an hour during peak tines in the morning and evening, with 100 vehicles traveling on White and Latham roads.
“Everything that’s traffic-oriented is Jericho Turnpike,” Olivo said.
He said a turn signal would be installed for vehicles traveling west to allow them to turn left into the station.
Tartaglia said he estimated 61 vehicles would enter and exit during peak morning hours, with 81 vehicles stopping there during the evening rush hour.
“But you’re increasing the traffic on Latham Road and White Road,” Strauss said.
Tartaglia said curbing on either side of the station would direct traffic toward Jericho Turnpike off both side streets.
“When you have mountable curbs, people go around them,” Strauss said.
Strauss said he wanted angles set on the curbs to really deter traffic from moving south on either side street.
In response to questions about the convenience store, Singh said it will be equipped with a grill to prepare hot food and cold cuts would also be served.
“It sounds like you’re going to have a lot of food,” said village Trustee Dennis Walsh.
Singh said he estimates 10 percent of the station’s customers would buy food, occupying the station’s nine parking spaces and one handicapped space for five or six minutes. He said between 70 percent and 80 percent of the food would be pre-prepared.
During one exchange, Pereira told Singh the village imposes “conditions” on service stations, including restrictions on operating hours.
“I will divest the property to the town right now if you want to build a park,” Singh said.
“I don’t appreciate the tone,” Pereira replied, adding he recognized Singh’s right to develop what was a commercially zoned space.
Residents expressed concerns, at times with raised voices, about traffic and the 24-hour operation of the proposed station.
“Mr. Singh said he has a dream,” said White Road resident Matilda Wojis. “We have a dream too, to live without a 24-hour gas station in our neighborhood.”
“It’s a gridlock opportunity waiting to happen,” added resident Tom Radd.
“Why don’t we just rename Jericho Turnpike Kamikaze Turnpike?” said resident Ed Hedu.
Hedu said the proposed gas station would be “hazardous to the community.”
White Road resident Carol Provenzano, who said she was a caretaker for her husband, said she was worried about the overall impact on the neighborhood.
“It will deprive us of a quality of life we’re entitled to,” Provenzano said.
Loud applause resounded through the meeting chamber after each resident’s comments even as the crowd dwindled during the course of the hearing.
