The Village of Williston Park Board of Trustees reopened a hearing for fast-food giant Wendy’s, concerning a drive-through at its existing location at 259 Hillside Ave. on Monday, Dec. 15 where concerns previously expressed by the board on a proposed drive-through lane were discussed.
Wendy’s attorney Thomas Pantelis said that the drive-through was the subject of a request from the village board of zoning appeals. As noted by Pantelis, the village board of trustees, based on their code, has authority over the conditional use permit for the restaurant, as well as overall sight approval.
“The existing building is almost 40 years old, and it’s Wendy’s desire to take it down and totally redevelop the site,” Pantelis said. “This will include everything from landscaping, fencing, drainage and the addition of a drive-through.”
Following an October hearing, Pantelis said that one or two meetings with Village of Williston Park Building Inspector Kerry Collins were held in November, and on Nov. 25, Hauppage-based Bohler Engineering, a firm handling the Wendy’s project, resubmitted plans that incorporated “just about every change the board of trustees commented on and requested.”
The village board nearly unanimously expressed satisfaction with the changes made, which were on the subjects of traffic and safety concerns. With the exception of trustee Teresa Thomann, she suggested that Wendy’s maintain two curb cuts, which allow traffic on and off Hillside Avenue, in an effort to avoid pushing traffic from the drive-through onto Burkhard Avenue.
“There is going to be vastly increased traffic use on the Burkhard exit, and it will impact the residents—you’ve addressed all the concerns except for the fact that no other alternative was investigated for the single curb cut on Hillside Avenue,” Thomann said to Pantelis, who asked if contact has been made with state officials on the concern.
Pantelis said resubmission plans were made to the New York State Department of Transportation, and to date, “the [Department of Transportation] is fairly inflexible once they indicate what they want or will allow on Hillside Avenue.”
Pantelis said it was Wendy’s preference to keep an additional curb cut, however it does not appear to be permitted by the DOT.
“We can continue the process, but we just don’t know if that’s going to happen,” Pantelis said.
Village of Williston Park Mayor Paul Ehrbar commended everyone involved in the site plan proposal, saying: “We appreciate all the effort you’ve put in here.”
At the Oct. 6 hearing, presentations were made by Joseph Colucci, an architect with Bohler Engineering, and John Harter, a principal of Atlantic Traffic & Design Engineers, both of whom attended the meeting last week.
Harter explained the DOT’s position of a single curb cut on Hillside Avenue near the intersection at Burkhard Avenue, as reducing vehicles traveling eastbound on Hillside from making left-hand turns into Wendy’s.
Burkhard Avenue resident John Schultz raised multiple concerns about the proposed site plan, including traffic, landscaping, car accidents and garbage from customers.
“It’s getting to look like Queens here, and you guys are going to do whatever you have to for the tax money,” Schultz said. Ehrbar responded by stating the village will not receive additional tax revenue if the project goes through.
Trustee Michael Uttaro said he addressed Bohler on protecting the sidewalk from vehicles jumping the curb, saying a recent accident in that area injured a family friend.
“The Wendy’s people were very receptive, and they have addressed that issue,” Uttaro said.
Concerning garbage, Uttaro said he lives right off Willis Avenue, and has experienced trash issues from ice cream and convenience stores.
“I understand your frustration, and I can say that I spoke to our building inspector and in once instance, he had an extra garbage can installed, and I assume he talked to people because the problem stopped,” Uttaro said.
