Babylon planning board reserves decision on Strange Stars dispensary expansion after informational hearing

The Town of Babylon Planning Board on July 15, 2025 closed an informational hearing and reserved decision on an application by Strange Stars LLC to expand its Route 110 adult‑use cannabis dispensary into an adjacent tenant space, the board said.

The matter matters to nearby businesses and drivers because the applicant is proposing interior renovations that would add about 3,300 square feet to the facility, add storage and six additional points of sale, and require traffic changes approved by the New York State Department of Transportation, Planning Board staff said.

Glenn Graham of Graham Associates, who spoke for the applicant, said the project is an interior alteration that would take over a vacated dinette to the north and provide roughly half the new space for storage. "About half of that space is gonna be used for storage," Graham said, adding that the firm expects roughly 2,000 square feet of the new area will be storage. He said the expansion would allow Strange Stars LLC to bring more licensed Long Island cultivators into the store and to speed customer transactions by adding more points of sale.

Graham told the board the business currently employs 27 full‑ and part‑time staff and hopes to add seven to 10 more employees if the board approves the application. He said Strange Stars has contributed about $2.1 million to the Town of Babylon and the Beacon Wellness facility and maintains a $100,000 scholarship fund, including currently supporting a student at Farmingdale College.

The applicant presented a traffic study by Hayduck Engineering that, after inspection by the New York State Department of Transportation, recommends installing a no‑left‑turn sign at the southerly curb cut. Graham also said the owner will replace concrete at the two curb cuts along Route 110 and that R & M Engineering has filed state permits and expects approval soon.

Board members asked for details about parking, dumpster access and ownership, and how customers would be checked in. Planning Board questions clarified that the storefront entrance will remain the same, staff will check IDs at the entrance and usher customers to points of sale, and that the applicant has agreed to conditions in the planning department memorandum from Commissioner Denise Graziano dated July 8. Graham said there are no plans for on‑site events or on‑site consumption and that the applicant agrees to the memorandum's restrictions.

A board member asked who owned the dumpsters at the rear of the building; Graham said the Pacone family owns the majority of the building and both tax lots and that cross access and shared parking were part of the previously approved site plan, but he did not have exact dumpster usage details and said he would speak with the landlord.

After questions, the board voted to close the public hearing and reserve decision so staff may review outstanding items and accept written comments. The board recorded a motion to close the hearing by Jerry O'Neil, seconded by Frank Santos; the motion carried. The record will remain open for written comments to the Planning Department between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m., by phone at (631) 957‑3103, or by email at planningcomments@townofbabylonny.com.

No final approvals, building permits, or other actions were granted at the hearing; the planning board warned at the start of the record that approvals may be voided if applicant information is later found inaccurate.