By Nick Buglione
William Bonesso, the attorney representing 7-Eleven in its bid to put a new convenience store at the corner of East Meadow and Prospect avenues, spoke for about 10 minutes at the East Meadow Civic Association meeting June 23. Then the onslaught began, as the 70-odd residents in attendance opened fire with questions about how the plan would affect traffic, parking and their quality of life.
Bonesso, along with a 7-Eleven representative and the owners of the property, had come to the meeting to sway public opinion on their proposal. It didn¹t take long for them to realize that those in attendance had already made up their minds, and all the talking in the world wasn¹t going to change them. After absorbing the first barrage of complaints and boos, they simply gave up and left.
³They said they were walking out because they felt like they were just being verbally beaten,² said East Meadow Civic Association President Robert Zafonte, who tried in vain to restore order to the meeting, held at East Meadow Fire Department headquarters, before it spun out of control. ³I can understand that.²
Residents have been vocally opposed to the building of a 7-Eleven at 391 East Meadow Ave., where G.F. Auto Repair currently stands, for a number of reasons. Some are afraid that a 7-Eleven would exacerbate traffic congestion on East Meadow Avenue and lead to more accidents. ³East Meadow Avenue is more like a turnpike,² said Elliot Galant, a 31-year East Meadow resident. ³We have the library, three fire houses, two parks, a funeral home ... it¹s not an ideal place for 7-Eleven.²
The convenience store hired Atlantic Traffic and Design Engineers to conduct a traffic impact study of the area, which concluded that a 7-Eleven would not adversely affect traffic. Zafonte disputes the results of the study, however, because it was conducted in October, when the heavily trafficked Veterans Memorial Park pool was closed. ³The traffic study was done by a company hired by the applicant. It¹s a biased traffic study,² he said, noting that the civic association has hired its own consultant to conduct a new analysis.
Other residents are worried that a 7-Eleven would turn the corner into a 24-hour hangout, at the same time swallowing up the mom-and-pop delis on East Meadow Avenue, including Meadow Dairy across the street. ³They are a loved institution,² said Irene Schlagman, who has lived in East Meadow for 29 years. ³They¹ve been here for years, and they should be preserved here. You guys have the gall to come in here and put them out.²
Bonesso said that isn¹t 7-Eleven¹s intention. ³We have found over the years that that type of [business] is not going to be our competition,² he said.
East Meadow already has four 7-Elevens in the area, which left some wondering why the convenience store chain wanted to build another. ³We have four of them in East Meadow ‹ we don¹t need another one,² said resident Kathy Volpe.
The plan calls for the construction of a 2,200-square-foot convenience store on the back portion of the quarter-acre lot. The owners would lease the land to 7-Eleven. ³The use of the property itself, the building size, the building height, the parking, all fully complies with town codes,² Bonesso said. ³We¹re not asking for any variances or zoning changes.²
The proposal will require the approval of the Hempstead Town Board of Zoning Appeals, however, thanks to an amendment to the town code last year. Certain-sized businesses are now required to apply for a ³special exception² 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 sort of project would have been considered ³as of right,² meaning the company wouldn¹t have to apply for variances or receive any kind of approval. With the code change, residents now have a forum to fight the plan.
The Board of Zoning Appeals will hear testimony on the project at a Wednesday, July 20, meeting at 2 p.m. at Hempstead Town Hall, 1 Washington St. in Hempstead.
Bonesso said his client is considering holding another meeting with only the residents who live in the area of the proposed project. ³Mr. Zafonte could have tried to control his people better,² he said.
Comments about this story? NBuglione@liherald.com or (516) 569-4000 ext. 236.
