Cumberland Farms gas station on Long Beach Road in Oceanside to be rehabilitated

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The Cumberland Farms gas station and convenience store in Oceanside is getting a facelift, which might relieve some of its traffic flow, too.

Town of Hempstead officials approved an application to revamp the facility, at 2962 Long Beach Road in Oceanside, during its Oct. 3 meeting. It will experience a “total renovation,” according to William Bonesso from Forchelli Deegan Terrana Law, who is representative for the company. Part of the overhaul includes the replacement of eight fueling stations, the demolition of the market and car wash and the construction of a larger store.

In addition, there will be no outside displays aside from an electronic sign and the final product will feature a “roomier layout than what presently exists,” Bonesso said, mentioning 16 spaces for gasoline pumping and 21 paid parking spaces.

Additionally, the store will “comply to town rules” by not selling beer between midnight and 6 a.m., Bonesso added. The premises will have four people working during the day and two at night, with someone always available to help handicapped and elderly customers.

When it comes to traffic, the facility will keep one of the ingress/egresses it has on Long Beach Road, but transform the other into an ingress-only. And, it is moving the ingress/egress it has on Atlantic Avenue closer to the intersection, further away from the McDonald’s on the same road in the hope of reducing traffic in the area.

“It’ll be easier for the cars coming off Long Beach,” said Wayne Muller from Roberts and Muller Engineering, the construction company hired for the project, at the hearing, adding that the road is the “bulk of the traffic.” While the car wash is being removed for a larger convenience store, Muller said he does not anticipate increased traffic, calling the change a “trade-off.”

“From the way I see it, there was a car wash open, so when you pulled off of Atlantic, there was a line and would back traffic up,” Hempstead Town Councilman Anthony D’Esposito said. “Eliminating the car wash would mean less traffic for the location.”

At the hearing, he pointed out that although the application was approved, it must return to the board for further approval because the area is more than an acre in size. The traffic division of the Department of Public Works will also be reviewing the item before work begins.