Small eateries throughout Farmingdale now have to jump through fewer hurdles to get a special use permit after the village board updated its zoning code.
A brief public hearing was held at the board’s Monday, Jan. 5, meeting, which resulted in the modification of the code relating to the Business D District
Mayor Ralph Ekstrand said the village had previously enacted the same policy to help small businesses on Main Street, which reduced the costs and procedures for eateries with 20 or fewer seats to obtain a special use permit for
According to the amendment, any eatery with 20 or fewer seats will not need to hold a public hearing to obtain a special use permit.
The Business D District predominantly includes the Marquis Shopping Center, parts of Fulton Street and parts of Conklin Street, according to the village zoning map.
“We want to include them in the same code as our [Downtown Mixed-Use District] and to mirror the fees as such,” Ekstrand said.
The board unanimously adopted the law following the public hearing.
Eateries with over 20 seats are still required to have hearings to obtain special use permits, and the village has scheduled a public hearing for an 83-seat hookah lounge and bar at its meeting on Feb. 2.
