Residents urge planning board to reject rezoning request for Deer Park bowling alley site

The Town of Babylon Planning Board on Wednesday heard an application from Lag Associates LLC to demolish the existing bowling-alley property at 849 Long Island Avenue in Deer Park and to rezone the parcel to allow a two‑story, climate‑controlled self‑storage facility with a 17,048‑square‑foot footprint.

The developer’s attorney, Nicole Blanda, told the board she represents the property owner and that the applicant “consents to all of the covenants and restrictions.” Blanda said the project would add about 20,633 square feet of landscaping, provide a 20‑foot buffer along residentially zoned property, install dark‑sky‑compliant lighting and eliminate an existing rear parking lot that currently abuts houses.

The public hearing drew more than two dozen speakers from Deer Park and neighboring communities, many of them citing the bowling alley as a longstanding community resource, particularly for children, people with disabilities and local youth bowling teams. Residents repeatedly urged the planning board and the town to preserve the bowling alley and to leave the parcel’s zoning in place.

“The bowling alley serves this community,” said Dennis Ryan, a Deer Park resident. “We want that bowling alley. It has served the community for decades. We want places for our children to go, where they can hang out.” Joseph Prevetti, another Deer Park resident, told the board he “strongly oppose[d] the requested zoning change,” saying it would harm neighborhood character, safety and local businesses.

On technical points, the applicant’s engineer, Scott Reisinger of Nelson & Pope, presented trip‑generation estimates based on Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE) rates. Reisinger said the ITE weekday trip generation for the existing bowling alley (modeled conservatively at 14 lanes) is about “21 trips in the AM and 63 trips in the PM with a Saturday peak of 34 trips,” while the proposed self‑storage use would generate “weekdays AM, 9 trips, PM, 9 trips, and Saturdays, still 9 trips.” He used those figures to argue the proposed use would generate fewer vehicle trips than the existing use.

Blanda and Reisinger also described site features that would remain or be added: two curb cuts (one on Long Island Avenue and one on Irving Avenue), a refuse enclosure screened toward the rear of the building but outside the 20‑foot buffer, two loading spaces with protective bollards, two ADA spaces, 26 proposed parking spaces (five of them land‑banked), dark‑sky lighting, new drainage and removal of the rear parking area adjacent to homes. Blanda said there would be “no outside storage” and that interior units would be climate controlled and accessed by elevators to the second floor.

Speakers raised several recurring concerns. Neighbors questioned whether industrial zoning (G‑Industry) was appropriate next to residences, whether a future owner might change the site’s use if a storage business later failed, and about noise, lighting, security and the effect on property values. Several speakers, including parents and coaches, said the bowling alley provides youth programs, scholarships and low‑cost recreation and described how special‑needs and school bowling teams use the facility.

Board members and staff noted procedural points: the planning board reviews the site plan and the special‑use permit for the self‑storage use, while the Town Board would hold a separate hearing if a zone change is pursued. Blanda confirmed the applicant had reviewed and consented to the planning department’s conditions and covenants as presented at the hearing. The applicant said a zoning change (if pursued) would be heard later by the Town Board and that two minor variances would go to the Zoning Board of Appeals if rezoning occurs.

After public comment and questions, the planning board voted to close the hearing and reserve decision so staff and board members could review written submissions and the issues raised in testimony. The hearing record remains open for written comments to the planning department.

The planning board did not issue any final determination at the meeting.

The planning board advised interested residents that application materials are available at the planning office in the West Wing of Town Hall and that the record will be forwarded to the Town Board if a zoning change is pursued.