Smithtown Officials to Consider Route 347 Gas Station, Facade Fees

Smithtown officials will consider a host of plans aimed a building new businesses and improving existing ones Thursday night. 

Smithtown Town Board will hold a town board meeting 7 p.m. at the Eugene Cannataro Senior Citizen Center to consider approval plans for a Route 347 gas station and waiving fees for facade renovations. 

Bolla Operating Corp., based in Garden City, is seeking a zoning change in order to build a 16-pump gas station and convenience store on the northwest corner of the Route 347 and Route 111 intersection on the Hauppauge-Smithtown border. 

The new gas station would take over the vacant United Auto Repair garage and has purchased the residential home next door, which it seeks to have rezoned from residential to neighborhood business to accommodate the gas station. 

Smithtown Planning Director Frank DeRubeis asked town board members to reconsider approving the Route 347 gas station plans calling the corner "terrible location" for development as its driveways would overlap with existing turning and acceleration lanes on Route 347. 

In addition, the town board will vote on Councilman Robert Creighton's proposal to waive all town fees associated with building facade renovations and plans in hopes of sprucing up downtown central business districts. 

"It will have a small impact but I think it would have a positive impact," Creighton told Patch. 

Both Kings Park and Smithtown residents said they would like to see their Main Streets renovated, but wondered if the facade renovation fee is the main issue.

All town residents are invited to speak on these issues or their concerns during the public comment period at the end of the town board meeting.