Town of North Hempstead authorizes zoning law changes, Port sewer district bond issue

Janelle Clausen
Town of North Hempstead Supervisor Judi Bosworth listens as a resident speaks at a town board meeting. (Photo by Janelle Clausen)
Town of North Hempstead Supervisor Judi Bosworth listens as a resident speaks at a town board meeting. (Photo by Janelle Clausen)

The North Hempstead Town Board approved changes to zoning laws on restaurant alterations and parking requirements on Tuesday night as part of a larger effort to modernize the code and be welcoming to business.

The amendments to the town code eliminate a distinction established in 1998 between more formal restaurants and fast food eateries. The board also set the level of alteration for kitchens requiring review by the town zoning board at 20 percent or 250 square feet.

This also affects parking calculations, which will use the restaurant’s square footage as a standard rather than the number of seats.

“While it seemed to be progressive at the time to establish a separate category for fast food, what we’re running into with the industry is an ever-increasing number of formats,” Michael Levine, commissioner of planning, said.

Town Supervisor Judi Bosworth said the changes are a part of the town’s effort to show that it wants to welcome business.

“This is to amend the town’s zoning code so that we’re clearing up concerns about alterations to restaurants, calculation of parking requirements for the restaurant, and the idea is to be able have these applications go forward more quickly,” Bosworth said.

She commended Councilman Angelo Ferrara, who represents Williston Park, Mineola, Garden City Park and parts of New Hyde Park, for pushing to review codes that could be updated.

In unrelated business, the Town of North Hempstead authorized the issuance of $18.8 million worth of bonds for improvements to the Port Washington Water Pollution Control District’s facilities.

Among the improvements would be the implementation of a new asset management system and the ability to monitor operations, rehabilitating some of the 67 miles worth of pipes, and upgrading water treatment plants.

The sewer district serves more than 25,000 people in the Port Washington area, including the Village of Port Washington North, parts of Flower Hill and Baxter Estates and unincorporated areas. It also treats sewage collected by the Village of Manorhaven.

In other business, the Town of North Hempstead adopted a site plan review for planned parking lot renovations for the Garden City Park shopping mall on Jericho Turnpike.

The next Town Board meeting will take place on April 17.

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