Politics & Government

St. James Winery Goes Before Town Board for Special Event Permit

Smithtown Town Board will hold a public meeting at 7 p.m. Thursday.

A St. James winery will present its case for a special event permit to host outdoor events before the Smithtown Town Board on Thursday night. 

Smithtown Town Board will host two public hearings 7 p.m. Thursday at the Eugene A. Cannataro Senior Citizen Center on Middle Country Road. Whisper Vineyards will seek permission to hold outdoor events while Bolla Markets presents its proposed plans to build an 8-pump gas station on the corner of Route 347 and Route 111/Wheeler Road. 

Whisper Vineyards, part of Borella's Farm Stand on Edgewood Avenue, is seeking a special exception permit to host outdoor events. It's first public hearing set for March 21 was postponed, as farm owners and town are at odds over whether Whisper Vineyard's right to host special events is protected under state agricultural laws. 

Under the state's guidelines, special events held at a farm winery must show "the per event sales of the farm’s distilled or brewed products and/or wine and wine-related food products as a result of such activities must exceed the fees charged for such activities, less the actual cost to offer the activity/hold the event." 

DeRubeis said the town has asked the winery's owners to share their financial records after each event to prove their sales. However, if they are unwilling to do this, the town has the right to impose their own restrictions on the winery's special event permit. 

Bolla Operating, a Melville-based group, has requested a change of zone from R-10 residential to neighborhood business on 0.48 acres along the northwest corner of Route. 347 and Route 111. Bolla is looking to demolish the abandoned auto repair garage and a two-story home to build a 8-pump gas station and a 1,200-square-foot convenience store with small offices and a storage area.

David Flynn, a senior planner for the Town of Smithtown, said the proposal raised traffic issues about how it would impact the "heavily traveled and complex designed" intersection.


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