By: Cindy J. Roth
The Town of Hempstead Board of Zoning Appeals unanimously approved the Bellmore Playhouse expansion last week. Michael Petracca, the theater owner, said construction of the two additional screens and 225 seats will begin once the theater obtains building permits.
"I'm ecstatic," Petracca said. "It's the right decision."
The main issues in the Bedford Avenue theater expansion, from five screens to seven, have been increased traffic from and sufficient parking for movie-goers. In its decision, the zoning board addressed those issues, saying "The downtown area has enjoyed a renaissance since the Bellmore Playhouse opened, and traffic and parking in the vicinity are probably at an all time high. However, the board concludes that the increased traffic and on-street parking in the area would not be substantially different to what could be expected if the property now occupied by the Bellmore Playhouse was a successful retail operation that did not require any variances."
According to the board's written decision, the theater is now less than 2 percent deficient for parking, or 13 spots shy of proper ordinance requirements. The board also said any additional traffic generated by the theater expansion would use existing municipal parking fields rather than residential streets.
The board's decision provided for one new condition for the theater. The board approved the second variance the Playhouse sought, which provides a change in policy from all movies having to end by midnight to all movies having to start no later than 10:30 p.m. No more than two picture shows per day, however, may let out after 12:01 a.m. of the following day.
The Playhouse will also have to continue to provide fliers to patrons and show an on-screen video indicating the location of the municipal parking fields in and adjacent to the downtown business district. The fliers must also contain the statement in uppercase, boldfaced type: "Please respect the rights of our neighbors."
Bellmore Homeowners Association President Marge Congello said the group is livid with the board's decision.
"It's not even a compromise like in 1997," she said. "[The board] gave [Petracca] everything he wanted on a silver platter. What makes the board's decision even more frustrating is that it originally rejected putting a seven-screen movie theater in the middle of a residential community in 1997, recognizing congestion, parking and traffic safety concerns. Many of the current members were on the board then. Nothing has changed to make them justify this decision now."
The association plans to meet this week and review its options, which will likely include an appeal to the decision. Congello, though, noted that the group does not have money to hire seasoned lawyers and engineers. The association believes that proper weight was not given to evidence they brought before the board, including hours of videotape documenting dangerous traffic conditions in front of the Playhouse.
"Our evidence was totally ignored," Congello said. "[The decision] exacerbates an already bad situation."
For an appeal to considered, it has to be submitted to the BZA within 30 days of the town clerk entering the zoning decision into the record, which according to Congello, was not done as of July 2.
Local business owners support the zoning board's decision and think the downtown area will benefit from the expansion. Even the Playhouse's one local competitor said the expansion is good for the area. Rob Grassi, manager of Bellmore Movies on Petit Avenue, said the Playhouse expansion will not hurt his single-screen theater, located only three blocks from the Playhouse. Grassi said the theaters cater to different audiences. Bellmore Movies shows films that draw an older-adult crowd, while the Playhouse appeals to younger people.
"People will come to the one-plex theater because there are so few left on Long Island," Grassi said. "It's the heart of what the town is about."
