Parking Stalls Plan For Bar With Stage

By Janee Law

jlaw@longislandergroup.com

The Town of Huntington Zoning Board of Appeals recently denied the application for a special permit or parking variance for a possible bar and restaurant with a platform to be built in Huntington village at the former site of Capitol Health, which is currently occupied by a preview sales center for Energy.

One of the partners behind the Great South Bay Music Festival, who earlier this month revealed plans to bring a bar and restaurant fit with a stage to Huntington village, has had his request for a parking variance and special use permit denied by the Huntington Zoning Board of Appeals. The ruling effectively stalls the plans, at least for now.

Following a lengthy explanation, the ZBA voted unanimously Jan. 19 to deny Larry Weinberger’s request for a parking variance and special use permit that were required as part of his plans to convert the space at 357 New York Ave. into a 3,390-square-foot bar and restaurant with a stage intended for small performances.

ZBA Chair Chris Modelewski said during the meeting that the decision to deny the plan was because there was an “absence of proof” to prove that ample parking could be provided for the establishment by nearby municipal parking lots.

“When you’re making an application for a special permit to utilize municipal parking in connection with a conditionally-permitted use, it’s your obligation to show that what you cannot provide on the site is available in one of those municipal lots within a 300-foot radius of the subject site,” Modelewski said.

Weinberger’s proposal did not provide any on-site parking and Modelewski rejected traffic expert Wayne Mueller’s arguments that adequate spaces were available within a 500-foot radius. Town code allows a variance for use of municipal spaces within 300 feet.

Uniondale-based attorney Wayne Edwards is representing Weinberger, and first brought the proposal before the ZBA on Jan. 5. In an interview Wednesday, Edwards said that both he and his client are very disappointed with the ruling.

“We’re waiting for a copy of the [written] decision as to how we’re going to handle this,” Edwards said. “It’s a question of trying to figure out what they’re looking for and what our next actions are.”

Weinberger, of Bellmore, is a financial partner of the Great South Bay Music Festival and is also a real estate director with MGD Investment. He said earlier this month that he planned to create an old-fashioned coffee bar where people could congregate and enjoy a relaxing atmosphere. Weinberger also said he hoped to incorporating a craft beer element in the afternoon.

Editor's note: Larry Weinberger is a financial partner of the Great South Bay Music Festival.
The founder, producer and director of the festival is James Faith.
An earlier version of this story mistakenly stated otherwise.