The Town of Brookhaven Board of Zoning Appeals on May 28 granted variances for a proposed redevelopment of an existing McDonald’s at the northwest corner of Montauk Highway and Sills Road in East Patchogue, approving setbacks, two wall signs and a new ground (pylon) sign and clearing the way for a new restaurant with a side‑by‑side drive‑thru.

Why it matters: The proposal replaces a decades‑old McDonald’s with a new 4,359‑square‑foot restaurant and a side‑by‑side drive‑thru intended to increase queuing capacity and speed. The project requires variances for lot area and frontage inherited from the current parcel configuration, a reduced front‑yard setback to accommodate the drivethru improvements, and a ground sign taller and larger than the current code standard but consistent with recent board precedent for similar McDonald’s projects.

What the planner told the board: Planner James Reid said the site has a longstanding restaurant use and that the new layout—sited slightly further south—allows a side‑by‑side drivethru that increases queuing capacity by about 18% and the number of cars that can queue before extending onto Sills Road by about 35%. Reid also noted conditions the town board had placed on its recent site‑plan approval, including perpetual future cross‑access and parking easement commitments with neighboring parcels and streetscape landscaping requirements.

Applicant presentation: Matthew Wingber, counsel, and project engineers said the existing pylon sign (previously permitted decades ago at roughly 242.7 sq. ft.) will be replaced by a 17.5‑foot‑high sign with a face of 58.79 sq. ft., consistent with recent McDonald’s approvals in the area. Engineers said the new building would improve circulation and reduce existing drive‑thru impacts while landscaping and cross‑access easements will be added.

Board action and conditions: The board granted the variance applications (two separate applications numbered 11 and 12 on the agenda) as type‑2 actions. Members clarified the project must comply with the town board’s site‑plan conditions, effectuate required cross‑access easements, and satisfy building‑department permitting. The board noted past local precedents (e.g., Stony Brook and Blue Point McDonald’s locations) where similar height or ground sign area relief was granted.

Clarifying details: The applicant reported the existing single‑lane drive‑thru can currently accommodate up to 11 vehicles before affecting circulation and 14 before extending onto Sills Road; the new side‑by‑side design can hold about 13 vehicles and about 19 before roadway impacts. Proposed ground sign: 17.5 ft high, 58.79 sq ft face, located 8.8 ft from Sills Road where 22 ft is required. The board noted the existing site plan approval was conditioned on forthcoming easement instruments and landscape areas of 5–5.75 ft along the frontages.

Next steps: The approvals allow the applicant to proceed with town building permits and site‑plan implementation; the project remains subject to the conditions imposed by the town board and required easement recordings.