Hess Express Gets A Green Light By Town Board

Site of proposed Hess Express - Harnard Rd & Rte. 25 CommackThe Town Board, sitting as the Board of Site Plan Review, voted 3-2 on Tuesday afternoon to approve the site plan for a controversial Hess Express gas station on the corner of Rte. 25 and Harned Road in Commack.

The plan calls for the demolition of two structures  and the construction of a 12-pump gas station with a 1,231 square ft. convenience store. The plan has been the subject of much controversy. The original gas station has been boarded up for almost a decade.  Reopening the site as a gas station was never an issue since the property is zoned WSI and gas stations are a permitted use in WSI. The trend for  Hess stations has been to include a convenience store at their stations. The construction of the convenience store at this site requires a change of zone and variances. The Town Board denied the application with a three-two vote in 2009.

With a new board in place the Hess plan gained momentum. At a February 23, 2012 Public Hearing for the Hess plan two dozen residents spoke for over two and a half hours expressing their opinions and concerns (Town Hears Proposal For Commack Hess Station). Rudy Massa owner of Gasoline Heaven presented a petition with over 1,800 resident signatures opposing the plan.

The plan went to the Board of Zoning Appeals and was granted approvals to proceed. Before Hess could move forward they needed the approval of the Board of Site Plan Review which they received on Tuesday. The vote- Councilmen McCarthy, Creighton, Malloy “yes”. Supervisor Vecchio and Councilman Wherheim “No”. 

According to Town Attorney John Zollo, The approval by the Board allows Hess to proceed. Demolition can begin after Hess files its demolition site plan and gets the necessary permits. 

In a conversation with Rudy Massa Wednesday afternoon, he expressed a great deal of disappointment in the vote. While admitting that there is a small component of competition in the effort to prevent the Hess Express, it’s the saftey issue that concerns him. Massa talks about his children and grandchildren and other residents of the community, a “safety issue doesn’t just go away. The Town voted it down once before. There have been no changes in traffic. How can they do this?”