by Joe Flynn
On Tuesday, June 26th, the Smithtown Board of Zoning Appeals held a public hearing in response to increasing opposition to the Sonic Drive-In restaurant proposed for Route 25 in Nesconset, opposite the Smith Haven Mall. The restaurant, which has locations across America, currently has only one branch on Long Island, on Deer Park Avenue in North Babylon. Remembering the notoriously heavy traffic following the opening of the restaurant last year, the neighbors in Nesconset are determined not to let that happen to their development.
Initial traffic is only a short-term concern, however. The location of the proposed restaurant is a highly controversial one directly between a major business district and a residential community. The property is currently wooded, serving as a buffer between residents and the noise of traffic. Nearby, where the Sonic restaurant is intended to go, the restaurant Ragazzi already causes some discomfort to neighbors, including a smell of cooking garlic that blows into people’s houses.
What makes Sonic unlike other fast-food places on Long Island is its drive-in system, customers park in a row ;)
parking at Sonic in North Babylonof car stalls and place their orders through a speaker system. The food is brought by carhops on roller skates, and a sound system entertains the diners with music. Compared to any other fast-food restaurant, this setup is far noisier and exposed to the properties around it.
“It’s really outdoor dining,” says neighbor Nora Dettling, whose property is directly adjacent to the proposed site. She lists many of the complaints presented at the hearing, including noise, increased traffic, and the dirty air and smell of car exhaust and food. On top of all this, the outdoor situation encourages strangers to wander onto her property and teenagers to spend time there late at night. Safety, convenience, and comfort are all at stake for those who live nearby.
Nora’s husband John Dettling had additional problems with the proposal. He says that the Zoning Board seemed sympathetic to residents, even though he was not personally allowed to speak before the BZA, as he was considered to be represented by the Country Pointe Development’s attorney. But he says the traffic plans, announced at the meeting, confirmed his worst fears. In addition to spill-through on Alexander Avenue, there is a proposed lane to allow cars to idle while waiting for a stall. “A McDonald’s would be a thousand times better, because it’s all contained inside. This business model would leave us living next to the Lincoln Tunnel.”
The Zoning Board is designed, like any court system, to make its decisions based on zoning and planning regulations rather than on popularity. The proberty zoned for business, would require a long list of variances before it comes to fruition. A significant part of the dispute lies under the restaurant’s classification; the town prohibits a curb-service restaurant on that property, but Sonic is applying as a counter-service restaurant with curb-service facilities, since it does include a handful of tables for indoor dining. To the neighbors, this definition makes all the difference, and they are willing to fight to make sure this neighbor does not move in.