By Jeff Lipton
A curb cut was installed at the fast-food restaurant last week on Broadway, near West Broadway, paving the way for the drive-thru.
Parents who found out about the plans for the drive-thru last week said they are infuriated that they were not informed about the change sooner.
The installation of the drive-thru was approved by the Town of Hempstead Board of Zoning Appeals on April 25, 2001, after holding a public hearing on Feb. 28 of that year. No one voiced opposition at the hearing, said a town spokesperson.
But parents said they were not notified about the hearing, since the town is only obligated to alert residents within 200 feet of the project.
Previously, the county approved the site plan, including the new curb cut.
Peter Gerbasi, commissioner of the county's Department of Public Works, said his department approved the curb cut for practical reasons.
We look at it from a traffic perspective. We acknowledge the intersection is a difficult one and this was an opportunity for us to improve the intersection, he said.
We attempted to improve the exit by moving it away from the intersection, which we believe is safer, Gerbasi said.
We want the drive-thru stopped altogether, said Mara Jacobowitz, a member of Hewlett High School's Health and Safety Committee and the Hewlett-Woodmere School District's Transportation Committee. What they are doing is bringing more vehicles into an already-congested area.
We're only interested in the safety of the community, both students and other pedestrians, and other drivers.
She added that traffic accidents are common occurrences at the intersection where the Burger King stands. The entire community is up in arms, she said.
She said when parents found out last week, they were livid, making phone calls to the county and elected officials, hoping to get answers.
Drivers coming out of Burger King are not allowed to make a left turn onto Broadway because it presents a dangerous situation. But parents said many disobey the sign indicating no left turn. And with the drive-thru, even more will break the law, they said.
Jacobowitz said students from Hewlett High School cross the street during lunch, and this new drive-thru addition will put their lives in more jeopardy.
It's a nightmare, said Linda Strohmenger, a co-president of the Hewlett High School PTA. Obviously, traffic will increase, from all the people who will pick up their food. It's already a heavily-trafficked area.
She said many children walk to and from school during lunch and increased traffic would pose increased risks for them.
She said it would be ideal for plans for the drive-thru to be abandoned, but at the least the drive-thru window should maybe open at 4 p.m., well after students are dismissed.
Gerbasi said the problem of illegal left turns being made by drivers exiting the fast-food restaurant's parking lot is an enforcement issue. His department, he said, will work with police and the community to discourage illegal left turns out of the lot.
Officials said drive-thrus usually increase traffic, but some restaurants don't see an increase at all.
Residents said they have scheduled a meeting this week with legislators and county officials to determine what can be done at this point. The town can petition the Board of Zoning Appeals to reconsider the proposal, but the county has to reverse its decision first, a town spokesperson said.
Burger King did not return phone calls.
