ZBA hears larger gas-station, convenience-store plan for West Babylon site; neighbors press for delivery and hour limits

The Town of Babylon Zoning Board of Appeals on a September hearing considered a proposal from Eagle Elite Auto Repair to convert an existing service property at Wynatch and Mount avenues into a 2,794-square-foot gasoline station with a convenience store, a fast-food counter and a 2,400-square-foot canopy over four pump islands. The board reserved decision and kept the public record open while weighing operational limits and detailed plan revisions.

The proposal, presented by Gerard Glass, counsel for the applicant, and Chris Tartaglia of High Point Engineering, would add two small building extensions, replace the site's paving and curbing, and install underground storage tanks. Tartaglia said the parcel's pie-shaped geometry drove tank placement and argued the underground tanks would be “completely unnoticeable” once installed and that the layout lets delivery trucks unload off the travel lanes.

Board members pressed the applicants on hours, deliveries and site maintenance. Zoning Board member Shepherd asked about employee counts and parking; Tartaglia said the site will provide 14 parking spaces (including one ADA stall) and employ three workers during daytime peak shifts and one to two overnight. The board and staff listed recommended conditions including restricting truck deliveries between late-night and early-morning hours, prohibiting truck idling, containing delivery vehicles on-site so as not to impede traffic, and banning outdoor storage.

Neighborhood speakers, including Travis Stewart, president of the Belmont Lake Civic Association, told the board the nearby area includes residences and asked why a 24-hour operation was needed; Stewart also asked that deliveries use Wyandanch Avenue rather than Mount Avenue to avoid passing homes at night. The applicant’s team told the board they could attempt to direct suppliers to specified routes, and said they were willing to accept a “short leash” on 24-hour operations — that is, to have the board call the applicant back to reconsider hours if problems arise.

The board reserved decision and asked the applicant to agree in writing to conditions—particularly delivery windows, no-idling rules and limitations on truck arrival times—before a final vote. Planning-board comments and minor technical revisions remain outstanding.

The board emphasized it would include enforceable restrictions on hours and deliveries if it approves the project; the applicant agreed to try to enforce supplier compliance and to return if conditions are not met.