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Hempstead board approves Wellneck Marina fueling station after safety assurances
Summary
After a presentation and public questions, the board approved a special-exception application for a staffed boat-fueling operation at Wellneck Marina in Merrick featuring two 12,000-gallon double-wall underground tanks and three staffed dispensers, with county health approvals.
The Town of Hempstead Board voted to approve a special-exception application for Wellneck Marina in Merrick to reinstall underground boat-fueling infrastructure and operate a staffed fuel dock, after a presentation by the applicant’s attorney and technical questions from board members and residents.
Kevin O’Brien, representing the applicant, told the board the project at 3000 Whale Neck Drive proposes two 12,000-gallon double-wall underground gasoline storage tanks with interstitial monitoring and three dispenser positions on the south side of the property. He said the tanks would meet county, state and federal regulatory criteria, that Nassau County Department of Health has approved the tank applications, and that the proposed system includes stage-2 vapor recovery and automatic shutoffs and alarm monitoring designed to protect groundwater and nearby waters.
Board members questioned whether fueling would be attended, how deliveries would be made, and what fire- and spill-response systems would be in place. O’Brien said attendants would operate the fuel dock during daylight hours, trucks similar in size to home heating oil trucks would deliver fuel, and the system includes automatic shutoffs, alarms and periodic county inspections. Residents at the hearing asked whether ethanol-free fuel could be offered (O’Brien said it is possible but more expensive and not currently specified) and whether monitoring would continue when the fuel dock was closed (O’Brien said electronic monitoring and locked pumps would be used). One resident urged increased bay-constable patrols given seasonal boat traffic.
A board member moved to close the public hearing and adopt the item. The clerk recorded unanimous "aye" votes from the board and the special exception was approved.
The decision allows the marina to reinstall fueling infrastructure under the conditions described and subject to any departmental permitting and inspection requirements required by Nassau County and the DEC delegate agencies.
