The Village of Great Neck Plaza Board of Trustees gave the peninsula’s burger lovers something to look forward to Wednesday night, approving organic restaurant chain Bare Burger’s application for a Middle Neck Road storefront.
The restaurant will be the first Bareburger franchise to open outside the five boroughs. The three-year old company began in Astoria, Queens offering organic ingredients and exotic meats including elk, bison and ostrich.
Bareburger will be making efforts to adapt to the Great Neck market – the franchise’s owner said at the meeting that the new restaurant would offer kosher food, a first for the chain.
Kings Point developer and Great Neck Chamber of Commerce President Hooshang Nematzadeh presented a revised plan for his mixed-use Grace Avenue development to the board, attempting to address previous concerns regarding density and code compliance.
Nematzadeh and architect John Schimenti reduced the building’s apartment count to 40 – a move that was welcomed by the board.
The board also expressed a willingness to approve a variance on how far the building must be set back from the sidewalk, an accomodation that Nematzadeh said was necessary to make the building’s retail space economically viable.
With the board’s concerns allayed, Nematzadeh will take the plan to the village’s board of zoning appeals to seek legal approval for the code variances.
Also on the docket was a request from UNITE HERE’s Local 100 union branch to hold a rally on Oct. 25 from 4 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. to protest pay and benefit cuts at the Andrew Hotel.
Fernando Figueroa, a Local 100 organizer, said that the hotel was proposing a $4.50 hourly wage cut and that discussions were at an impasse.
“We’ve been in negotiation with the hotel for months,” Figueroa said.
The board questioned Figueroa about the planned size and tactics of the rally, expressing concerns over road safety and the impact a large gathering could have on commuters from the nearby train station.
“The number one thing for us is safety,” said Village of Great Neck Plaza Deputy Mayor Ted Rosen.
Figueroa told the board he expected a maximum of 35 protesters and that the union would have marshals on hand to direct the crowd.
The organizer agreed to meet with village Commissioner of Public Services Michael Sweeny before the rally next Thursday to discuss logistics and safety.
“We will be flexible,” Figueroa said. “We’ll tak it as it comes.”
The board approved the rally, contingent on a list of conditions to be written up by the board and signed by union representatives.
