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Plans for new CVS drug store in Amityville Village nearing completion BY CAROLYN JAMES A proposal to build a 12,900-square-foot building in Amityville is in the final planning phase, awaiting approval from the New York State and Suffolk County Departments of Transportation. The building is to house a CVS drug store with a drive-through area, and is to be located at the northwest corner of County Line Road and Merrick Road, the former site of Amityville Chevrolet. The property is owned by Bob Rais, but is being developed by First Hartford Realty Corp., out of Manchester. A zoning board hearing on the application was held in June. At that time, Anthony S. Guardino of Farrell Firtz., of Uniondale, spoke on the applicants' behalf. While the proposal meets all Village codes and ordinances for parking and construction, the applicant sought permission to utilize a small portion of residentially zoned property on the northern section of the property. "Based on our conversations with Village officials, we have repositioned the building on the site requiring us to use a small portion of the residential property for the drive-through aisle," said Guadagnino. "There will be no parking in the Residence B area, and we believe this project is a positive change for the area." In addition, the planning board asked that a 6- foot estate-type fence be installed around the property. Almost all of the land in the residential portion will be landscaped, with the entire site having almost 50,000 square feet of landscaping. One resident was concerned with the type of fencing being used, saying that it would allow for debris to blow from the site onto the residential properties. Guardino, said, however, that there would be significant landscaping in front of the fence to ensure that does not happen, and that his clients were directed as to the type of fence and landscaping to be used by the Village's Planning Board. There will be two entrances onto and from the site; one will be at the eastern-most portion of the property on Merrick Road and the other on the northern-most portion of the property on County Line Road. Traffic engineers wanted the entrances to be as far away as possible from the blinking light at County Line and Merrick roads, said John Lauria, the Village's Building Inspector. The plan also calls for the developer to install a red light at County Line and Merrick Roads, replacing the blinking light, and to set aside money for installation of colonial lighting in the future. "Right now all we are waiting for are the comments from Suffolk County," said Lauria. "Unless they make some request for a significant change in the site plan, then this should move forward." Lauria said the applicants have indicated that they intend to maintain the CVS store currently open and operating on Broadway in Amityville once the new site is built. | |||||
