Town Resumes Public Hearing on Jericho Turnpike Business Tuesday

Smithtown residents and business owners will clash at a public hearing for variances requested by a Jericho Turnpike Business. 

Smithtown Board of Zoning appeals will hear a request from Prisco Reality for variances to expand an existing tree service and auto dealership at 927 Jericho Turnpike as would bring commercial businesses to within 10 feet of residential homes at 7 p.m. Tuesday.

Reliable Tree Service is asking the zoning board for multiple variances to have a trucking station on West Jericho Turnpike as well as waive landscaping and buffer requirements. 

At a June public hearing, Smithtown resident Arthur Most said he is fearful of Prisco Realty's request to reduce the mandatory buffer between the residential homes and Jericho Turnpike businesses to 50 feet for an auto dealership's storage. 

Smithtown resident Brian Fleischmann asked Smithtown Town Board how Reliable Tree Service has been allowed to operate a business on Jericho Turnpike since 2004 without obtaining the permits necessary under town code on Tuesday morning. 

"He is in violation of the town code and he is trying to rectify that," said Matthew Jakubowski, Smithtown's Deputy Town Attorney. 

If Prisco Reality tries to postpone Tuesday night’s public hearing, Jakubowski said the town board would have to decide whether it wants to take further enforcement action. 

Councilman Thomas McCarthy said he hopes the BZA will deny Prisco Reality's requests for variances. 

"All of a sudden, he came in and destroyed the land, he gave these people no buffer. I hope the BZA has smarts enough tonight not to grant this massive deforesting that’s happening," McCarthy said.

The public hearing will be held 7 p.m. Tuesday at the Eugene A. Cannataro Senior Citizen Center at 420 Middle Country Road, Smithtown