The Village of New Hyde Park has hired a Hauppague-based engineering firm, Cashin Spinelli & Ferretti, to evaluate the findings of a study supporting a proposal for a Harley-Davidson motorcycle dealership, village trustees said Tuesday.
The decision comes almost three months after applicant Amir Jarrah submitted his study of noise, traffic, safety and other concerns near the site of the proposed dealership at 1324 Jericho Turnpike, which met strong community opposition last year.
The village Board of Trustees hired Cashin Spinelli & Ferretti after interviewing that firm and Melville-based Nelson, Pope & Voorhis during a special meeting a few weeks ago, Deputy Mayor Lawrence Montreuil said.
The Cashin firm has an “impressive body of work,” including a study of a proposal for a large shopping center development in Syosset that the community there opposed, Montreuil said.
Cashin charged the lower hourly rate of $150, compared with Nelson Pope & Voorhis’ $230, Montreuil said.
A $10,000 deposit Jarrah submitted to the village will cover the costs of Cashin’s work.
Jarrah wants to move his Harley-Davidson dealership from Northern Boulevard in Great Neck to a new 16,000-square-foot facility proposed at the intersection of Jericho Turnpike and Herkomer Street, the current home of Miller Brothers Plumbing & Heating.
Village residents raised concerns about noise, traffic, safety and other quality of life issues at an October 2015 public hearing on the plan. The board required Jarrah to commission a study of how his dealership would affect the community.
The study by Hauppague-based VHB Engineering that Jarrah submitted in August found the brand-new 8,000-square-foot motorcycle showroom with a 6,200-square-foot basement repair shop would not have negative impacts on the environment, noise and property values.
“We don’t know if that’s true or not,” Mayor Robert Lofaro said Tuesday. “And so we will hire our engineer to look at their engineer’s work. The good news is, they pay for their engineer, and they pay for our engineer.”
The Board of Trustees plans to hold another public hearing once Cashin reviews the current findings and comes to its own conclusions about the proposed dealership.
Jarrah did not immediately return a phone call seeking comment on Wednesday.
