New Bank, Drive-Thru Window Proposed for CVS Store in West Islip

Updated information:

Kabro Associates, which owns the Sequams Shopping Center, says it is  taking a "proactive" step in asking for a special permit for a bank drive-through for the CVS store location at Eaton Lane and Montauk Highway as it has a potential financial instituation interested in leasing part of the CVS building if the CVS leaves the site, Patch learned late Tuesday afternoon.

In a phone interview Managing Partner Neal Kaplan told Patch that the CVS lease is up "shortly" and he's hoping to avoid to have an empty storefront in the shopping center.

"We're in talks to have part of that store location be leased to a financial institution and as part of that the drive-through aspect is necessary," he told Patch.

He declined to state when the CVS lease will expire.

"I have to plan as if it [CVS re-location] will happen. I can't have 12,000 square feet of empty space there."

CVS has proposed opening a new location further east on Montauk Highway and the project has been hotly debated and controversial with nearby residents who are concerned about truck traffic, noise from loading docks and the hours of operation.

The current CVS has been in the shopping center for over 20 years, according to Kaplan, and he believes a bank or other financial tenant would be welcomed by local residents given no loading docks are needed, or late hours of operation.

"This [use] gets rid of the loading dock issue, the mess that residents have complained about."

The public hearing on the bank drive through will be held during the planning board meeting which begins at 7:30 p.m. on October 10 at Islip Town Hall.

ORIGINAL STORY

The Sequams Shopping Center developer is proposing to establish a drive-through bank window in the current CVS store at the southwest corner of Eaton Lane and Montauk Highway in West Islip, according to a October 10 town planning board agenda.

Islip Town officials told Patch that a submitted site plan reveals a proposed bank being built within the easternmost building (the current CVS), using 4,000 square feet of the existing 12,000 square-foot building.  

The proposed drive-through window would be adjacent to Eaton Lane. 

Kabro Associates, which owns the shopping enter, needs a special permit for the window as well as a parking relaxation.

A call to Kabro Associates was not immediately returned.

Patch will update this story when more information becomes available.