White Castle weighs appeal of town’s denial

The Town of Hempstead Board of Zoning Appeals unanimously denied White Castle's proposal for a restaurant on Sunrise Highway in Bellmore on June 2, town spokeswoman Susie Trenkle-Pokalsky said.

The decision came nearly two and a half months after the BZA heard White Castle's application to build a fast-food eatery at the corner of Sunrise Highway and St. Marks Avenue. At the nine-hour hearing, the board heard from Thomas Pantelis, a Mineola attorney representing White Castle, and from Christopher Benes, a Westbury attorney representing the Bellmore Preservation Group, an ad hoc group of local residents formed to fight the White Castle. Time was also given for residents to voice their opinions.

The board heard White Castle's variance requests for:

•Installation of two drive-through windows.

•Waiving of off-street parking.

•Construction of a refuse/recycling enclosure.

•A special exception to park in front-yard setbacks on Sunrise Highway, St. Mark's Avenue and Royle Street.

•Installation of a double-faced, illuminated, detached ground sign at Sunrise Highway and St. Mark's Avenue, and installation of a menu board with the drive-through windows.

The minutes from the unanimous denial of White Castle's application will be filed with the clerk's office once the transcripts from the stenographer are received, Trenkle-Pokalsky said. This could take a few weeks. White Castle Corporation must wait for the application to be filed with the clerk's office before it can file a response such as an Article 78, an appeal, Pantelis said. Once the decision is filed with the clerk's office, White Castle will have 30 days to file an Article 78. Pantelis had yet to speak with White Castle at the initial announcement of the decision; however, he had time to look over the decision.

"My initial review of the decision is that the board adopted the findings of the opposition on a wholesale basis, and that's contrary to state law," he said. Pantelis noted that he will discuss the options with White Castle over the coming weeks, and that as a corporation, there are business decisions it will make that he is not a part of.

Even if White Castle appeals the BZA's decision, community members are pleased with the current findings. Eileen Casazza, who helped organize the Bellmore Preservation Group, said that she has received calls and e-mails from the community congratulating the group.

"I'm so proud to be a part of this community," Casazza said. "That everyone was of the same mindset, and supported each other in various ways — it was a very amazing exercise in community."

Officials echoed community members' sentiments. In a June 3 letter to Bellmore residents, Town of Hempstead Supervisor Kate Murray and Councilwoman Angie Cullin described the decision as a victory, stating, "We won!" The letter continued, "Bellmore neighbors have won an important victory for the preservation of our great quality of life. Clearly, Bellmore remains a great place in which to live, work and raise a family because of the neighbors who call this wonderful community their home."

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