West Islip 7-Eleven Not Dead as Applicant Withdraws Before Council Vote

A controversial West Islip 7-Eleven proposal isn’t dead despite a planning board recommendation to the Islip Town Board to deny the project as the applicant withdrew the proposal before Tuesday’s scheduled town council vote.

As no town board vote was taken on the Udall Road-Muncey Road project, the applicant, SPJ LLC, can re-submit its application for a needed change of zone and special permit.

“The applicant has the right to reapply and begin a change of zone process again,” an Islip spokesperson told Patch late Tuesday.

The town planning board voted 4-2 on October 10, after reserving decision in July, 2012, to recommend that the town board reject the zone change needed.

This is how the planning board voted in regard to the proposed 7-Eleven:

Kevin Brown made the motion to deny
Anthony Musumeci seconded it
Chairman John Schettino and Donald Fiore voted to deny
Michael Kennedy and Joseph DeVincent opposed the motion to deny
Daniel Deluca abstained.

The applicants, SPJ, LLC were asking for a zone change as well as a special permit to operate a convenience store. 

The West Islip community swell of opposition to the project centered on traffic concerns and safety issues.

In its recommendation, the planning board stated both traffic issues, and the negative impact on the community, as reasons for the town board to reject the proposal.

On November 7 the Islip Town Board fired Dave Genaway, it two-year long planning board commissioner and replaced him with Richard Zapolski, who had served as deputy commissioner.

The firing, announced during a budget hearing, came two days after town council elections that returned incumbent Republicans Trish Bergin Weichbrodt and Steve Flotteron to their board seats.