The Oyster Bay Town Board denied a special-use permit request from the owner of Cotillion, a banquet hall and Indian restaurant in Jericho, citing a long history of noise complaints at the location.
The special-use permit, requested by the owner during a 2020 hearing, was to allow the Cotillion, located at 440 Jericho Turnpike, to operate as a catering hall. The restaurant portion of the business is unaffected by the town board’s decision.
A representative for the Cotillion was present at the board meeting on Tuesday, Nov. 18, when the board made its unanimous decision.
The resolution passed at the meeting said that the “excessive noise continues to be a problem at this location and a concerted effort to have plans for the location include noise mitigation measures has proven unsuccessful.”
Tamar Harutunian, an attorney for Cotillion, requested at Tuesday’s meeting that the town board delay its vote until December to give the owners additional opportunity to address the noise disturbance issues.
“We understand the residents’ desire to have this matter resolved, but we are willing to collaborate with them to address these issues,” she said.
Oyster Bay Town Supervisor Joseph Saladino asked Harutunian if noise concerns had been addressed over the past five years since the initial hearing, to which she said that the latest plans include noise-reduction measures.
After going back and forth with the supervisor, she said there has been no enacted policy to lower noise levels and that what she called “discussions” have taken place.
Harutunian said there are ongoing discussions with neighbors who initially raised noise complaints about the policies, which is why she asked the board to delay its vote.
“There’s been ample opportunity to address the complaints since the original application, and it hasn’t been done,” Town Council Member Lou Imbroto said in response. “You know how seriously we take the neighbor’s consideration and they don’t appear to be happy.”
Sloan Zarkin, an attorney with Schneider Buchel LLP, which represents the Manors Condominium, located adjacent to the Cotillion, said there “have been limited to no conversations” about the noise issue with Cotillion’s attorney until the day before the town board meeting.
“The sound complaints by the residents have continued, the noise complaints have continued and it’s been just as loud,” she said.
“We promote business of all sizes, all types, but we also are very respectful of our residents and their quality of life,” Saladino said to Zarkin.
She added that the noise complaints do not just occur at night, and have also been recorded during the day and on weekends as well.
Harutunian said she was unaware of any new noise complaints over the past two years.
