Gas station, five years in the making, approved for Route 48 in Southold

Plans for a new gas station on Route 48 in Southold received the green light to proceed at a Planning Board meeting Monday.

In a 3-0 vote with chairman Don Wilcenski and member Martin Sidor absent, the board approved a site plan for the gas station, which will be built at the corner of Route 48 and Youngs Avenue.

The plan is to demolish an existing 3,476-square-foot building formerly used for vehicle detailing and RV sales and replace it with a 2,400-square-foot convenience store and gas station with eight fueling stations and 26 parking spots on the 1.46-acre property.

An amended site plan was submitted to the Planning Board in 2019 after the applicants received a special exception ruling by the town’s Zoning Board of Appeals. 

The changes reflect requirements issued by the ZBA as conditions of approval, including a two-year completion timeline, limited hours of operation to no later than 10 p.m. daily, banning any food franchises from opening on the property, restricting exiting vehicles from making a left turn westbound on Route 48 and preventing further expansion without ZBA approval.

As part of the site plan approval, the applicants must adhere to another list of conditions that include shutting off nonessential exterior lighting at night, installing security cameras, using rain sensors to prevent unnecessary watering and requiring motorists to turn off their vehicles if a long line of vehicles begins queuing.

In addition, the storage and sale of vehicles and use of outdoor audio speakers and television screens at the pump stations is prohibited.

First proposed in 2015, the proposal was met with disdain from community members who cited major concerns about traffic safety. A few supported the idea, saying there aren’t many fueling options along Route 48.

Site plans approved by the Planning Board are valid for 18 months from the date of approval, meaning all proposed work must be completed within that time frame.