Seaford residents irked by gas station plan

A proposal to build a gas station on Merrick Road in Seaford has been the talk of the town over the past week, and has residents concerned that it could increase traffic on an already busy thoroughfare.

Bande Seaford LLC is seeking to build a QuickChek station and convenience store across from Pathmark, which would replace an existing gas station. The proposal also includes the use of a parcel of undeveloped property in a residential area.

The site plan calls for the installation of two 20,000-gallon gasoline storage tanks, and two 12,000-gallon tanks — one for premium gas and one for diesel. The convenience store would be just under 6,600 square feet, and there would be eight gas pumps. A public hearing before the Hempstead town board had been scheduled for Wednesday, but was postponed because the case is being referred to the Nassau County Planning Commission.

Charles Kovit, chief deputy town attorney, met with a group of residents last week at a Seaford law office that overlooks the site of the proposed gas station — less than a mile east of the end of the Seaford-Oyster Bay Expressway. He responded to concerns that the public hearing was set to take place but the public had received little notice. “We’re not trying to get anything under the radar,” he said. “We want to have full public participation.”

A wooded area behind the existing parking lot would be used for parking and as a turnaround behind the convenience store. The developer is seeking to have the zoning of that area changed from residential to business, and to have the entire site included in the gasoline service district.

The parcel directly behind the existing parking lot would have to be subdivided from the adjacent residential property, which requires approval from the county planning commission.

Kovit said that since the parcel is landlocked, the Town of Hempstead’s Board of Appeals would have to issue a variance before the planning commission could even hear the case. That means that Bande Seaford LLC’s application is still two steps away from a town board hearing.

Ken Jacobsen, president of the Seaford Chamber of Commerce, was in attendance last week because, he said, he wanted to learn more about the proposal. “There was a rumor that it could be a truck stop,” he said. “We wanted to clear the air as to what it was.”

Kovit tried to put the rumor to rest, saying that it is not a use the town board desires. “A truck stop on Merrick Road in Seaford?” he said. “No way.”

Kovit added that the town board would not approve any plan that would have a negative impact on the environment.

QuickCheks are found mostly in the Hudson Valley, but the chain’s first Long Island location opened earlier this year in Lake Grove.

Tina Catalanotti, who lives on Washington Avenue, around the corner from the site, said the proposal raises safety issues. She noted that some children have to walk past the property to get to their school bus stop, and said she was worried that a busier gas station, potentially handling truck traffic, would be dangerous. “As a mother,” she said, “I’m very concerned.”

Phil Franco, president of the Seaford Harbor Civic Association, said there was not a lot of support for the proposal. “I can tell you, the sense of the community is that they are vehemently against this,” he said.

The civic association is planning an informational meeting about the proposal on Nov. 25, at 7 p.m., at the Seaford Public Library.