On Wednesday, July 13, the Town of Islip planning board held their monthly meeting.

Bolla EM Realty, LLC requested a planning board special permit for a convenience market in the Business 3 District, pursuant to 68-302.1 (D). The site is located at 236 Bay Shore Road on the southeast corner of Bay Shore Road and Manor Lane in Bay Shore. The board was quite familiar with the application as the matter appeared before the board in 2018 and 2019. Previous applications were not granted and an Article 78 proceeding was resolved between the town and Bolla approximately two years ago where the Supreme Court sided with the town. The applicant then offered to reduce the hours of the service station. The planning board then agreed to a rehearing of the application for a convenience market. The original application had an accessory restaurant within the convenience market, which is not part of the current application.

“The application calls for essentially a raze and rebuild of the subject premises,” Altman said.

On March 10, the town board reviewed and approved a special permit application for the applicant.

The site is approximately three quarters of an acre in area and 33,057 square feet. The plans call for a 2,545-square-foot convenience store situated at the eastern part of the property. A replacement canopy is also planned that would be 82 feet by 32 feet or 2,600 square feet. According to Altman, this canopy will be 700 square feet smaller than the existing canopy and therefore “less obtrusive.” There are currently six multi-product dispensers on site with 10 fueling positions. The new plan will also have six dispensers, but 12 fueling positions. The easternmost curb cut, which is closest to the eastern lot line of the premises, will be closed and the curb cut will be moved westerly away from the adjacent residential parcel to the east. The free-standing “privately priced and ID” sign along the eastern lot will be taken down, Altman noted a monument sign installed on the site along the Bay Shore Road frontage the two curb cuts on Bay Shore Road. Five neighbors spoke against the proposal during the public discussion. The board closed the public hearing and voted to reserve a decision on the application.

The planning board held a public hearing for an application by Central Islip Associates, LLC for a site on the northwest corner of Lowell Avenue and Eastview Drive, Central Islip. The applicant is requesting a modification of deed covenants and restrictions to modify the affordable housing requirement outlined in the Lowell Avenue Revitalization Plan. The property is also known as the Foxgate Condos. The applicant is looking to modify a covenant regarding the renovation of blighted properties around Lowell Avenue in Central Islip and instead proposes to construct 20 units of affordable housing on the west side of Carleton Avenue to fulfill the affordability component for the Foxgate project. The board closed the public hearing and reserved a decision to a later date.

The board held a public hearing for the request by Vesta Acquisitions LLC for an amendment of the master plan. The applicant is seeking a change of zone from planned development sub-district educational campus to planned development district sub-districts retail/service, residential and office in order to construct a retail building rehabilitate three buildings for a total of 24 residential units, construct 106 senior residential units and construct a medical office building.

A minor subdivision is also requested. Site plan modifications are also required as part of this application. The site was at one point used by NYIT who has since vacated the parcel. Before that, the site was the location of the Central Islip Psychiatric Center. The site encompasses approximately 13 acres. The applicant is looking to develop a portion of the former campus with an adaptive reuse of structures already there. Of the 130 residential spaces proposed, 24 would be in cottages. (Three cottages with eight units each.) The cottages would be utilized as housing for veterans as well as individuals on the autism spectrum. The board voted to reserve a decision on the application to give the planning staff and applicant time to work through issues brought up by residents and the board.

The board granted the application from the Central Islip Fire District for a site plan modification for the southwest corner of Lowell Avenue and Eastview Drive in Central Islip (0 Eastview Drive). The applicant requested a parking determination and permission to locate overhead doors facing the street in connection with the Central Islip Fire Substation.

The board granted the application from Michael X. Mattone for parking and landscaping relaxations in connection with a change of use of an existing office building to a medical office located at 41-45 Park Avenue in Bay Shore.