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Home decor store plans to open in historic Southold home

Nicolette’s for the Home, a Massapequa-based company specializing in home decor and kitchen and bath design, plans to open a Southold location in a historic home on Main Road.

The town Planning Board is reviewing the proposed site plan for conversion of the 2 1/2-story home to accommodate 1,422 square feet of retail space on the first floor, an office on the second floor and storage in the basement, second floor and attic. The building is located at 53245 Main Road, slightly east of Town Hall.

The 5,042-square-foot house sits on a half-acre in the Hamlet Business zoning district. The applicant, John Nicoletti, was not present at last Wednesday’s Planning Board work session. He said in an interview that the site plan does include any changes to building’s footprint and he’s already begun work on the interior. A detached 432-square-foot cottage at the rear the property is not included in the plan.

“We pretty much already did everything as far as painting, refinishing the floors, kind of just restoring the house to its original splendor,” Mr. Nicoletti said.

The house is known as the Burns House by the Southold Historic Preservation Commission, but no construction date is listed on the town’s register of historic landmarks.

The space will be set up as an interior kitchen and bath design showroom, with some retail space for home decor and accessories, tabletop decorations, pillows and linens. It is the same concept as the Massapequa location, but some merchandise will be exclusive to the Southold location, Mr. Nicoletti said.

Town code requires 14 parking spaces, but only five are provided on the site plan. The board may waive some required parking because, according to a letter from the applicant, only two employees will be on the premises per shift and customers will come by appointment only.

The applicant submitted the application to the Zoning Board of Appeals in September, and in November received a notice of disapproval for a freestanding sign. Because the Burns House is a historic building The Historic Preservation Commission must approve any signage, according to town documents.

The company started as a nursery and garden center in Massapequa 43 years ago.

“We’re really looking forward to being part of the Southold downtown,” Mr. Nicoletti said. “We’re really excited to be part of the community and give back to that community the way we do here in Massapequa.”

If the Planning Board receives a revised site plan by Friday, the board will classify the action under SEQRA at its June 4 meeting and set a public hearing for July 9.

Photo caption: The proposed location at 53245 Main Road in Southold for Nicolette’s For The Home. (Credit: Rachel Siford)

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