Town board approves Carl Place redevelopment with conditions; traffic review set for six months

The Town of North Hempstead voted to approve site‑plan and special‑use permit applications from Carl Place LLC/440 Old Country Road LLC for a mixed retail, bank and restaurant redevelopment at 357 & 440 Old Country Road, subject to conditions set by the Board of Zoning Appeals and the planning department.

Applicant counsel introduced the two linked applications and said the project would retain the existing DSW with façade improvements while adding a roughly 21,120 sq ft retail/restaurant building, a 3,465 sq ft bank with drive‑through and a 3,292 sq ft Raising Cane's with a two‑lane drive‑through. "The restaurant would also have indoor seating and an outdoor patio for seasonal seating," the applicant's representative said.

Andrew Kelly of VHB described site changes to increase buffering for adjacent residences: a reduction of about 880 sq ft of the retail/restaurant footprint to increase rear‑yard setback, relocation of a dumpster to improve the buffer, lowering light pole heights to 16.5 feet and a proposed photometric plan showing no light trespass at property lines. Proposed landscaping adds about 5,946 sq ft of additional pervious landscape and a larger vegetative buffer along the north property line.

Traffic consultant Aaron MacTay presented a traffic and parking analysis that used conservative ITE rates and a shared‑parking model. The plan provides 285 parking stalls; the Board of Zoning Appeals granted variances for stall size and quantity after reviewing the study. MacTay said signal modifications at the Zeckendorf Boulevard intersection—including protected left turns—are proposed and are under Nassau County review. He concluded that with the proposed improvements the project "would have no significant impact to traffic operations" relative to existing and prior event‑driven conditions.

Residents raised concerns about peak‑hour congestion on Old Country Road, the reduction from a nominal requirement of 373 spaces to 285 on the plan, and the potential for spillover parking on nearby Roosevelt Court. The board and applicant noted that signage and tenant signs will follow separate building‑department and zoning permits and that any noncompliant signage or lighting would require separate approvals.

The approval incorporates specific conditions read into the record: noise and lighting limits per town code, a revised landscaping plan approved by the commissioner of planning (with additional shade/flowering trees), a water‑availability letter from the Carl Place Water District, and an on‑site follow‑up meeting between town representatives and the applicant six months after operations begin to assess traffic. The conditions also require operational measures to prevent drive‑through queuing from blocking required parking spaces; if queuing blocks parking, restaurant employees must take orders outside the building to relieve the queue.

The board adopted the site plan and special‑use permits with these conditions; members thanked the planning staff and the applicant for community engagement and revisions made after public and BZA review.

Next steps include submission of final landscaping and signage plans to the planning and building departments, Nassau County 2, 3 0 and f application review for Old Country Road improvements, and the six‑month traffic assessment required by the approval.