Plaza gym plan gets roughed up

Dan Glaun

Budget gym chain Planet Fitness’ application to take over the location of the closing New York Health and Racquet Club was met with opposition from dozens of residents and legal concerns from trustees at the Village of Great Neck Plaza board meeting Wednesday night.

Gym-goers bemoaned Planet Fitness’ plans for the location, which will soon be vacated once New York Health and Racquet Club ends its tenancy inside the shopping center opposite the Great Neck Long Island Rail Road station. 

And while board members and Village Attorney Richard Gabriele cautioned attendees that public opinion could not determine the results of the permitting process, the application did meet a legal roadblock. 

Planet Fitness seeks to offer tanning beds to premium members, while the village has a law on the books prohibiting that service – a dispute that Planet Fitness representative Brian Kunkel said could throw the company’s plans into doubt.

Village of Great Neck Plaza Mayor Jean Celender opened the meeting by assuring the vocal crowd that they would have the opportunity to speak, while warning against disruptions during Planet Fitness’ presentation.

“This is going to be conducted orderly, and if it isn’t you’re going to be removed from this courtroom,” Celender said. “This isn’t Judge Judy.”

Residents presented a 512 signature petition to the board arguing that Platnet Fitness closure of amenities including the previous gym’s indoor pool, as well as potential traffic and crime, made the gym a bad fit for the neighborhood. Representatives from Planet Fitness defended the proposal, describing their chain as a welcoming and age-diverse gym that would give residents full-time access to training.

Some residents alleged that the shopping center’s ownership had forced the existing gym out through rent hikes. 

Neal Kaplan, the center’s landlord, said New York Health and Racquet Club was welcome to renew its lease but elected to leave for business reasons.

Planet Fitness’ architect Daniel Mullin laid out the company’s $2 million renovation plan, which would see an increase in cardiovascular and training equipment, along with the removal of the current saunas, pool and steam rooms.

“Everything will be new inside of it – new floor, new lighting, new equipment,” Mullin said.

And Brian Kunkel of Planet Fitness’ corporate division described the gym’s business model, which includes memberships for $9.99 or $19.99 per month, 24-hour operation, and an emphasis on cardio and light weightlifting that he said fits the needs of a wide range of gym-goers.

“We’re the most diverse health club in the county in terms of age range,” Kunkel said.

When asked about the elimination of the pool, classes and other amenities, Kunkel said those features were not economically viable for Planet Fitness.

“We wouldn’t be able to afford to offer $10-a-month memberships if we had a pool,” Kunkel said.

Kunkel faced skepticism from the board over its planned 24-hour operation, with trustees saying they were concerned about setting a precedent for future businesses and residents warning of noise and possible crime. 

But it was the facility’s proposed four tanning beds, which Kunkel described as a integral part of the Planet Fitness business model, that drew the stanchest opposition from the board.

“It’s a major problem because we have a statute on the books that prohibits tanning on certain equipment,” Trustee Gerry Schneiderman said. Village Attorney Richard Gabriele read the law, which bans the commercial use of ultraviolet light for tanning.

“We had no idea about the tanning restriction,” Kunkel said. 

Kunkel initially said he doubted the plan could go ahead without tanning, but added that the company would review its options ahead of the application’s next hearing in October.

Though tanning appeared to pose the biggest legal barrier to the project, it was the loss of New York Health and Racquet Club’s services that sparked the greatest outrage among the crowd of members and residents that filled the Village Hall.

Valerie Pinhas of University Gardens said Planet Fitness had misjudged the needs of the Great Neck community, which she said valued the pool and fitness classes above bargain-priced memberships.

“My concern is that Planet Fitness has not done their marketing homework,” Pinhas said.

Pinhas, who said she has used the facility through various ownership changes since the 1980s, said the gym’s largely middle-aged clientele make extensive use of the pool and would be poorly served by its removal. 

Pinhas also said the 24-hour operation could attract loitering youths from outside Great Neck – an idea disputed by Kunkel, who cited company statistics that clubs typically only draw members from within 10-minutes driving distance.

And Attorney Chris Murray, representing several members of the current gym, argued that Planet Fitness’ parking demands would overwhelm the shopping center’s availability during peak hours.

The sentiment against New York Health and Racquet Club’s closure prompted Deputy Mayor Ted Rosen to caution residents that the village did not have the power to preserve the existing gym, which is already slated for closure.

“This board is not closing the prior establishment,” Rosen said. “If we deny this application, there is no certainty a new health club will come in.”

Share this Article