Government

Proposed gas station in Southold can’t move forward yet

TidyCar

Southold Town Planning Board members want more information before they’ll consider voting on a controversial proposal to convert a recreational vehicle sales and service business into a gas station and convenience store, officials said.

The application calls for conversion of an existing 3,476-square-foot building at the southwest corner of Route 48 and Youngs Avenue in Southold into a gas station 12 fueling pumps, two canopies, 29 parking spaces and a convenience store.

The existing businesses there, Tidy Car and East End Campers, deal in vehicle detailing and RV sales and service.

The Planning Board rejected a draft environmental impact study for the project in January 2016, and the applicant submitted a revised study in December. But planning officials say the revision lacks information that was requested. The DEIS is required to show how the project can mitigate specific issues such as traffic and other environmental impacts.

“We recommend to the Planning Board that it be found inadequate once again,” said town principal planner Mark Terry at Monday’s Planning Board work session, where the application was discussed.

Town planning director Heather Lanza said they had also requested that the applicant submit a photo simulation of the proposed structures in context with the neighborhood, and that was not submitted.

Ms. Lanza said her department is recommending that the Planning Board formally reject the DEIS again by resolution at its Feb. 6 meeting.

At a public hearing in August 2015, neighbors overwhelmingly opposed the application and submitted a petition with almost 300 signatures. The signers, and speakers at that hearing, fear the gas station would be a magnet for crime, traffic, noise and pollution and will ruin their rural neighborhood.

Neither the applicant, Sukru Ilgin, nor his attorney, Charles Cuddy, was present at Monday’s work session.

Photo caption: The site of the proposed gas station in Southold. (Credit: Kelly Zegers)

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