By Nick Buglione
"The board finds that the proposed use will adversely impact the community," the board wrote in its judgment. "There will be created at and about this subject location an undue increase of vehicular traffic congestion on the public streets."
Though the decision likely closes the book on the 7-Eleven proposal, William Bonesso, the attorney representing the convenience store chain, said it is contemplating filing an appeal in state Supreme Court. "We're disappointed with the decision from the board," Bonesso said. "We feel they overlooked pertinent parts of our application, which justified an approval."
The proposal called for the construction of a 2,200-square-foot 7-Eleven at the northeast corner of 391 East Meadow Ave., where G.F. Auto Repair currently stands.
East Meadow civic leaders, residents and business owners were staunchly opposed from the onset, stating that a 7-Eleven would worsen traffic on East Meadow Avenue, turn the corner into a 24-hour hangout, and swallow up the mom-and-pop delis in the area. With four 7-Elevens already in East Meadow, others questioned whether there was a need for another.
Many had turned out for a July 20 Board of Zoning Appeals hearing to voice their opposition, and they were pleased to learn of the decision.
"There is such horrific tie-up [already] because the street is very narrow," said Frank Saracino, a resident who testified at the hearing. A former superintendent of the East Meadow School District, Saracino remembers that buses picking up children in that area were frequently held up in traffic. "We always had to plan different because of the tie-ups, and the extra time had to be factored in," he said.
East Meadow Civic Association President Robert Zafonte, whose group hired an attorney and a traffic expert to fight the 7-Eleven proposal, said he was elated with the decision. "This application would definitely have jeopardized the safety of the community," he said. "We're happy the Board of Zoning Appeals did the right thing on behalf of the community."
In its decision, the board also said that a 7-Eleven would "interfere with the orderly passage of fire and other emergency vehicles on the public streets."
Eric Becker, third assistant chief of the East Meadow Fire Department, testified at the July hearing that the department was afraid that a 7-Eleven would hamper its response time in emergencies. There are three fire houses on East Meadow Avenue, and emergency vehicles use the intersection frequently, because it leads to all other areas of the community, Becker said.
A traffic consultant hired by 7-Eleven testified, however, that traffic would not significantly increase, arguing that convenience stores generally don't put more cars on the road. The majority of their business consists of "pass-by" trips, motorists who are already on the road and decide to stop in, he said.
"We feel that our traffic expert clearly established that the traffic generated by the proposed use would have a minimal impact on the surrounding area," Bonesso said. He added that he thought a 7-Eleven would offer better parking and smoother "ingress and egress" to the property than the auto shop that's there now.
The 7-Eleven proposal would not even have been up for discussion had it not been for an amendment to the town code last year. Businesses of certain sizes are now required to apply for a "special exception" with the board when moving onto roads allowing only a single lane of traffic in each direction, such as East Meadow and Prospect avenues.
In previous years, this type of project would be considered "as of right," meaning that the company would not have to apply for variances or receive any kind of approval.
Comments about this story? NBuglione@liherald.com or (516) 569-4000 ext. 236.
