McDonald's seeks OK from Huntington officials to build at Greenlawn site

McDonald's is seeking a zoning exception from Huntington Town officials for a restaurant it's proposing at a busy intersection — a plan that has drawn scorn from the town supervisor but support from planning board officials.

The proposed site is on the northeast corner of Pulaski Road and Park Avenue, a Greenlawn address that once housed a bank.

McDonald's USA LLC has applied to the town’s zoning board of appeals to consider designating the planned eatery as a food shop instead of a restaurant. That would allow McDonald's to avoid seeking a zoning change before the town board, according to town officials. Currently, food shops are allowed at the site, but not restaurants.

A major difference between the designations? The seating capacity allowed.

A food shop serves prepared food and has 15 or fewer seats inside, according to Anthony J. Aloisio, director of planning and environment for the town. Any eatery with more than 15 seats is considered by the town to be a restaurant.

The McDonald's proposal calls for 32 seats, Aloisio said.

“The applicant is not requesting a zone change," Aloisio said. "They are seeking an interpretation from the ZBA that their proposal should be permitted use” under the current zoning.

McDonald's also would need a special-use permit from the zoning board of appeals to have a drive-thru window if its request and parking variances are granted.

A Zoning Board of Appeals public hearing is set for next week.

Opposing views

Town Supervisor Ed Smyth said he is not a fan of the plan.

“I’m not lovin’ it,” he said in an email. “I cannot think of a worse location for a drive-through restaurant than Park Avenue and Pulaski Road.” He said the location "is not in keeping with the character of the neighborhood.”

But at a May 6 planning board meeting, Chairman Paul Ehrlich said he and his board support the proposal, calling it a “unique” and “prominent” site that had a bank drive-through but has been vacant for too long.

“I believe that our recommendation is that we not only have no objection to the zoning board taking lead agency, but that we support the proposed land use and we have no objection to granting the variances, permits and interpretations that the applicant is seeking,” Ehrlich said.

The ZBA is required to send all commercial applications to the planning board for an advisory opinion, town spokeswoman Christine Geed said. Planning board and ZBA members are appointed by the town board.

The attorney representing McDonald's, Keith Brown, said he needed to speak to his client before commenting. Brown, a state assemblyman representing Northport, announced in February he would not be seeking a fourth term in office.

Neighbors cool to the idea

If the McDonald's request for an exception is rejected, the fast-food chain could seek a zoning change before the town board.

“They feel they can accomplish what they want though the zoning board of appeals,” Aloisio said.

Some residents in a nearby neighborhood appear opposed to the McDonald's. Flyers were recently placed in mailboxes calling to “stop the rezoning” and to submit written comments to the town objecting to the plan.

McDonald's has about 45,000 restaurants worldwide, according to the data aggregator statista. There is a McDonald's on West Jericho Turnpike in Huntington and another on Route 25A/Fort Salonga Road in Northport.

The public hearing is set for 6 p.m. Thursday at Town Hall, 100 Main St.