Planning board closes hearing on proposed Raising Cane—s at Broad Hollow Road; traffic and parking top concerns

At a Town of Babylon Planning Board meeting, the board closed a public hearing and reserved decision on a proposal to demolish the existing Houlihan—s and build a one‑story, 4,054‑square‑foot Raising Cane—s with two drive‑through lanes, 72 indoor seats and 15 outdoor seats.

Melissa Bridal, Raising Cane—s senior property development manager for the Northeast, told the board the chain is expanding rapidly and outlined operations, including typical hours of about 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 a.m. and a streamlined menu designed for fast service. "Our refined menu allows for speed of service, that's about 2 minutes and 30 seconds from the time you place your order until the time you pick up your food," Bridal said.

Alex Holloman, civil engineer for the applicant, described site engineering details including the combined two‑lane drive‑through stacking capacity of up to 21 cars, a proposed on‑site loading space, required utility connections and town‑compliant landscaping. Holloman said town code calculates required parking for the entire tax parcel at 397 spaces; the proposal provides 283 stalls while noting an existing ZBA approval previously granted a variance for 328 stalls.

Traffic consultant Ethan Shikosky said the team used Institute of Transportation Engineers trip generation rates and comparisons to three established Raising Cane—s sites in New Jersey. "We didn't find any significant impact to the adjacent signalized intersections and we did find that there was sufficient parking on‑site to accommodate the demand," Shikosky said, adding the design includes operational plans for an expected "honeymoon period" of heavy initial demand.

Board members pressed the applicant on several operational and safety issues, including whether the FAA reviewed the site because of proximity to Republic Airport; the applicant said it had received a letter of no hazard from the FAA. Members raised questions about the placement of accessible parking and whether outdoor seating should be protected by bollards; the engineer said the seating is set back roughly 10 feet and protected by a full‑height curb and vegetation but agreed to revisit protection details if the board requests.

During public comment, resident Robert Cohen praised Houlihan's as a long‑standing community asset and said he was sad to see it leave. William Danborough of Massapequa Park told the board he expects added congestion and said the shopping center already has multiple drive‑through chicken restaurants within about a mile. "The traffic I'm talking about is not new traffic for a new restaurant," Danborough said, arguing existing circulation problems around Walmart and other tenants will persist.

Applicant counsel told the board an extensive market study supports the location and that multiple Raising Cane's planned nearby may disperse peak demand. The applicant also noted remaining approvals required include the planning board site plan and special permit and a zoning board of appeals review for a small parking variance; the team estimated an opening in 2027 if approvals proceed as planned.

The board moved to close the hearing and reserve decision to allow time to review written comments and outstanding site‑plan issues. The motion to close was made by Dan and seconded by Ronald; the board voted in favor and the hearing was closed. Planning staff said written comments will remain open and application documents are available for inspection at the Planning Department in Town Hall between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m.

No formal approvals were granted at the meeting; the planning board will consider the written input and unresolved site plan items before issuing a decision.