Neighbors raise safety and screening concerns as board recommends rezoning for takeout pizzeria on Sheridan Drive

Steve Geltzum, representing the owners, requested a recommendation to the Town Board to rezone 5122 Sheridan Drive from residential to neighborhood business to permit a small, takeout‑only pizzeria operated from part of the owner’s house. Geltzum said the proposal would add 10 parking spaces (versus eight required) and that the pizzeria would be primarily takeout with a small counter area.

During public comment, two neighbors raised concerns. Gia (address given for record) said the Sheridan‑Mill intersection is busy, expressed worry about increased traffic with recent nearby commercial development (including a forthcoming Starbucks), and asked whether the rezoning was safe for children on bus routes. Sheila Sucha described a decades‑long issue with glare and screening from adjacent commercial properties and urged stronger screening measures than past efforts by property owners and town departments had produced.

Geltzum responded that traffic generation is expected to be small for a mom‑and‑pop operation and that landscaping/screening and other site‑development details would be addressed during the site‑plan stage. The board incorporated a condition for a protective covenant restricting the northern 75 feet of the property to green space and recommended that the Town Board approve the rezoning with that condition. The hearing record includes the neighbors’ statements and requests for enforceable screening or a physical barrier if necessary.