GRI Sunset Plaza LLC presented a site-plan application on Sept. 8 to convert four vacant units in the Sunset Plaza shopping center for two restaurants, a physical-therapy office and an Uncle Giuseppe’s catering storefront; the planning board closed the public hearing and reserved decision.

Attorney Jason Stern said the application would authorize Unit 7 as a 100-seat, 4,222-square-foot restaurant (tenant not yet identified), Unit 10 as a 3,450-square-foot physical-therapy office (proposed Link Medical), Unit 13 as a 2,630-square-foot Uncle Giuseppe’s catering storefront, and Unit 26 as a 40-seat, 2,027-square-foot Just Salad. Stern said several spaces have been vacant for more than five years and that making restaurant use preauthorized for Unit 7 would help attract tenants.

Traffic engineer Joshua Herman of Stonefield Engineering testified that the center currently has 1,109 parking spaces and that the future layout would have 1,107 after adding accessible stalls. Using industry-standard ITE methodologies and on-site counts (weekday and Saturday, 10 a.m.–9 p.m.), Herman said the proposal would generate about 52 vehicle trips in the peak hour and that peak parking utilization would be about 51 percent, leaving roughly 547 spaces unoccupied at peak. "We don't expect any traffic or parking impacts due to the proposed project," he told the board.

Stern and property manager Jeffrey Ricchio said the applicant will seek a variance from the Zoning Board of Appeals to address a shortfall relative to the town's parking requirement; project testimony cited a difference between a code requirement of about 1,479 spaces and the proposed 1,107 spaces, a gap of roughly 372 spaces.

Board members raised operational questions. One asked about grease traps for the larger Unit 7; Ricchio and planning staff explained that the Suffolk County Department of Public Works oversees grease-trap requirements and that cleaning frequency depends on the restaurant’s output (estimates at the hearing ranged from twice monthly for heavy-use operations to quarterly or biannually for lighter uses). Ricchio said property management generally directs employees to park behind the buildings and tries to reserve front spaces for customers.

The board heard no public opposition at the hearing. Members thanked the applicant for the center’s management and community programs and then voted to close the public hearing and reserve decision so staff can review outstanding technical items and public written comments.

Next steps include submission of the parking-variance application to the Zoning Board of Appeals and finalization of any special-use permit applications for the restaurant units.