Full Transcript

Thank you. Good evening everyone. Welcome to the Thursday, July 9th, 2026 meeting of the Zoning Board of Appeals. So welcome. Let's stand and honor our flag. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Okay, how do we all listen? You want to read the program, Heather? Break it up. Yeah, so we have appeal number 2026-012, Jody Ordeone, 735 Manor Lane in Jamesport. This was heard on June 11th, and it was adjourned to the state pending additional relief and a need to re-notice. The impervious surface coverage question has not yet been answered, so we don't know if they're going to need that additional relief or not. We're waiting to hear back from the applicant and building department. so we can push this out to the next meeting which is July 23rd or August 13th whatever pleasure if we get the updated denial letter tomorrow I could put it on for the 23rd so do we want to just leave it open-ended I guess yeah it's gonna be renoticed anyway okay and let's follow up with building to try to get them to resolve it either way do we have to adjourn it or just leave it open we can just leave it open okay yeah good all right so our next appeal is appeal number 2026-014 eugene cook 1397 west main street riverhead suffolk county tax map number 600-119-2-46.3 riverfront corridor zoning for a proposed hair salon applicant requests variances and or relief from town code chapter 301-164 where hair salons are not permitted within the riverfront corridor zoning use district okay who's here good evening everyone thank you very much i do solemnly swear to tell truth the whole truth nothing but the truth so help you god please state your name and address my uh my name is eugene cook my home address is uh 25 arbutus road green lawn new york okay um thank you for coming out tonight i appreciate it we uh i own uh 1397 west main street um it was a commercial building built back in the 60s from the family that i spoke to in regards to it it was originally built for some commercial use i don't know what it was the The property, I think, was originally industrial, light industrial. And from there, they rented it to Newsday as a distribution center for a number of years, with attractive trailers coming in and trucks leaving early in the morning to deliver on the east end to Newsday. Since then, it's been a number of different rentals in there, including retail. There was a thrift store there. There was a boat repair facility. There was a small engine shop there where you could purchase lawnmowers and that kind of thing. And then there was a great white propane was there. So it's had a number of different uses. The building is 2,500 square feet. We want to take 1,250 square feet and make it into a small salon there, beauty salon. I submitted all the affidavits and what have you. We have a letter from a neighbor that would like to see it happen, and we have a petition of about 20 people or so that signed it saying they would like it. We've seen no negative effects on it from anybody there. When did you buy this property? It's got to be two or three years ago. When? Two or three years ago. 24? Yeah. Two or three? So when you bought it, I would assume you asked for COs, certificates of pre-existing use, those kinds of things. Pre-existing use, yeah. And you had an attorney do that for you? I did. Okay. So you were able to secure all those papers? Well, I believe so. The attorney would have that. Okay. Have you talked to your attorney? I have. Okay. I actually thought this was pretty simple since when I came in, I was this lovely woman here in zoning gave me all the back history of it so it was pretty diverse so and since it's grandfathered my assumption was that we we shouldn't have too much of a problem with it okay and and i know what happens when you assume so let me get that out of the way yeah if you wanted an opportunity to supplement the record i think the zoning board would permit you to do that that i believe the file indicates that the last certificate of occupancy for that structure on the property there's also a residence correct and that's occupied yes so i believe for the building we're speaking about tonight the last certificate of occupancy was 2008

under town code section 301 222 c

you lose a pre-existing use if it's been abandoned for a year Okay. I am aware of that law. Okay. So it appears there has not been a valid certificate of occupancy for the use of that building from 2008 to the present. Okay. but you know the zoning board member Barnes questioned you and you believe your attorney did that due diligence right so you're probably 100 right but it was 2008 as I looked at it when you buy property I looked at it as commercial and so I just assumed it was commercial since we're doing something that's above and beyond what a riverfront corridor is and what light industrial zoning was, that's why we thought we had to come here to ask your permission for that. There are more criteria that have to be met if you're going to seek out a use variance as opposed to an area variance. So there are other things that need to be accomplished. I would recommend that you try to talk to your attorney and submit the supplemental issues that can prove that it has its existing use already. Okay. And for COs. And were there ever any letters of preexisting nonconforming uses issued to the building? No, there don't know. Okay. So I'm going to just, for your benefit, run through the criteria. that you must present to the zoning board to get the use variance. And I think... And I appreciate you taking the time to help us out with it. You should accept zoning board member Barnes' recommendation because I'm going to read them to you. They're not as simple as they sound. Okay. First criteria, the applicant must prove that it cannot realize a reasonable return as shown by competent financial evidence. The lack of return must be substantial. Two, the hardship alleged relating to the property is unique. Three, the requested variance, if granted, will not alter the essential character of the neighborhood. Four, the alleged hardship was not self-created. And each of those provisions have significant and unique interpretations that, in fairness to you, based upon you coming here tonight and not being prepared on those. Well, it's my assumption, and again, assuming that the town knows the past history of the property. And so just as that was the case, I mean, I'll do what I have to do to get it done. Because with a number of residents down there, I own a lot of property in the area, and I'd like to see it better. I mean, if you come down West Main Street to where the Country Kitchen is, once you go past there, you have the Roadhouse and you have the ice cream place. But it really could use some more beautification. And there's myself and a number of other people that would like to do that. And so we're just trying to make the place a little bit better.

But the law has set criteria. I understand that. I will do what I can. board is inclined to grant an adjournment. I would like that if you don't mind. That would be great. See what I can do. All right. Do we want to move this to July 23rd? No, I would give his counsel. Maybe next day. My daughter's getting married. meeting in August. No, he asked for September. His daughter's getting married. Oh, September? That's fine. September. It'll be down the road also. September what? We have either September 10th or we have September 24th. What's your pleasure? 10th, please. All right. Thank you. Mr. Chairman, I move the adjournment is September 10th. Second. Mr. Weske. Aye. Mr. Barn? Aye. And I vote aye. So you've been adjourned until September 10th? Thank you very much for your time. I do appreciate it. Thank you. We have minutes, Heather. We do. June 11th, 2026. Aye. Would they be accepted? Second. All in favor? Aye. Anything else, Heather? No. All right. Thank you.

Anything else, Heather? Our next meeting date is July 23rd, 2026. I move we adjourn to Lynn. Second. All in favor? Aye. All right. Appreciate all the attention. Thank you. 13 minutes. I did a little left. Return to the 23rd. The record still stands. It does. You talk too much. That's all. Can you just do a motion to close for Justin? So moved. To close. I move to close. Aye. Thank you.