The owner of Sonic fast food restaurant in North Babylon wants to open a second location in East Meadow.
A public hearing for a proposal to build a Sonic fast food restaurant in East Meadow brought out protesters and supporters of the project Wednesday.
A Sonic franchisee took the plans to the Town of Hempstead Board of Zoning Appeals in hopes of getting it approved. The chain wants to make a second Long Island location at the former site of Rita’s Italian Ice on Hempstead Turnpike.
The restaurant would have 24 parking spots, a drive-thru and a patio. It will be open from 9 a.m.-midnight Sunday through Thursday and 9 a.m.-2 a.m. on Friday and Saturday.
Long Island’s first Sonic opened in April on Deer Park Avenue in North Babylon. Spencer Hart, the owner of that Sonic, signed a 25-year-lease for the Nassau County location.
“We think that we have a lot to offer East Meadow, and that East Meadow has a lot to offer us,” Hart said.
He thinks that Sonic’s arrival will help to revive the other businesses in the shopping center. He brought along a letter signed by the businesses surrounding the North Babylon location that stated that the restaurant was a positive addition that helped the area.
Larry Samuels, owner of North Shore Fitness, which is in the same shopping center as the proposed Sonic, testified that at first he had concerns but ultimately decided that Sonic will enhance the area.
“Most people don’t eat a burger and then go get a gym membership, but even with more to lose than to gain, I think we can only benefit in the shopping center,” he said.
Not everyone is eager to for a Sonic there. Mark Head, a 14-year resident of East Meadow, has major concerns about the traffic, particularly the size and lack of traffic signal at the left turn lane into the restaurant and the traffic issues within the parking lot.
“I would not be nearly as concerned if they were going in another location of the lot,” he said, suggesting the company look at other nearby vacant spots.
BZA Chairman David P. Weiss noted that he had also had concerns about the East Meadow Avenue entrance to the shopping center.
Charles Wahler, owner of Zachary and Aura, a bar and nightclub in the center, is worried that Sonic will take away parking spots and will ultimately be “devastating” to his business.
He said that Sonic did not do a traffic and parking study for the hours after 9 p.m., and his businesses do not even open until 10. He also suggested knocking down a vacant store for more parking.
One East Meadow resident who was on Sonic’s side was Rebecca Goldberg, who said that the complaints people were bringing up had nothing to do with the eatery.
“Whether there is a Sonic or there’s no Sonic, traffic on Hempstead Turnpike is going to be bad,” she said.
The Board will notify the applicants of their decision by mail.
