OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Smithtown Town Board Regular Meeting - July 14, 2026

Town Board — Tuesday, July 14, 2026
BodySmithtown, New York
SessionTown Board
DateTuesday, July 14, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 28:12

Transcript — Verbatim
0:08

Good afternoon, everyone.

0:09

Welcome to our July 14th board meeting.

0:11

Please join us in pledge.

0:13

I pledge allegiance to the flag.

0:25

Roll call.

0:26

Supervisor Welhart.

0:27

Here.

0:27

Councilman McCarthy.

0:30

Councilwoman and Zarolo.

0:32

Here.

0:32

Councilman Lowman.

0:34

Yeah.

0:35

All right, we will begin this afternoon.

0:37

We have two site plans.

0:38

Mr.

0:38

Trotter, you're up.

0:42

Good afternoon, Supervisor, members of the town board.

0:45

I'm Liam Trotter with the planning department.

0:47

And I have two site plans to present to the board this afternoon, acting as the board of site plan review.

0:52

The first application is called Vincent's Woodfire Pizza.

0:55

The subject site is located on the southeast corner of Lake Avenue and Woodlawn Avenue in St.

1:01

James.

1:02

Their proposal is for a change of use from first floor office to food retail, facade alterations, demolition of an existing detached garage, and a parking lot expansion, a new curb cut on Lake Avenue, and associated site work.

1:16

So this is the proposed site plan.

1:18

A lot of the parking along the east side of the building currently exists.

1:23

The parking lot expansion will occur on the south side of the building.

1:31

There currently is a drop curb that was installed with the Lake Avenue Restoration Project, so they'll be utilizing that existing drop curve, so there won't be any new disturbance of the sidewalk on Lake Avenue.

1:45

This is a street view from Woodlawn.

1:48

This is the garage that will be demolished, and there'll be new head-in parking along the east side of the property.

1:56

Because there is a neighbor directly to the east, the applicant will be proposing a new PVC fence and plantings along that property line to mitigate any noise and visibility impacts.

2:07

And this is the street view from Lake Avenue.

2:10

As you can see right here, this is that existing drop curve that will be accessible with this new parking lot addition.

2:18

The applicant has agreed to five conditions of site plan approval.

2:22

The first condition is that the applicant obtain the necessary permits from the town building department and that any proposed ground sign shall be in monument style with a two to three-foot masonry base not to exceed a total height of eight feet.

2:34

The second condition is that the applicant shall install a tree preservation fence around all trees to be preserved on site.

2:46

The fourth condition is that prior to the issuance of a CO, the town of Smithtown drainage on the corner of Lake Avenue and Woodlawn Avenue shall be located, identified, and shown on the final as built survey.

2:57

An easement shall be submitted and approved by the engineering department and then filed with the town for future maintenance of these structures.

3:04

So there's an existing drain on the corner.

3:15

And any easements put in place if necessary.

3:18

And the last condition is that the landscaping and site work shall be modified in accordance with the marked up plan prepared by the planning department dated July 7th, 2026, which is this plan.

3:29

What we were asking for is the uh the species of uh plants that the applicant had spec'd out along the north side of the parking lot.

3:37

They were proposing red cedars and arborbides, which are taller of a species and may not be appropriate for this area.

3:44

Um what we were asking for is uh a boxwood or similar mid-size shrub.

3:48

Uh it's mainly to screen any any uh cars that might be parked there.

3:52

And we're also asking for a walkway connection from the south parking area to the entrance of the building.

4:01

And lastly, this is the proposed facade alterations.

4:05

The building will be resided with a whiteboard and batten uh and a new faux chimney, which is uh this will be facing the Woodlaw Avenue elevation.

4:15

Does the board have any questions on this proposal?

4:18

I do have a question.

4:19

I'm having a really tough time envisioning that piece of property becoming a pizza place.

4:24

Okay.

4:25

Uh when the time comes.

4:27

I remember when 7-Eleven was coming in and they came and they gave us the photo of what they were doing, which was really a help because we got to have some input, and it turned out to be beautiful.

4:39

Uh when it's ready, might they bring that in to us so we could look at the facade and uh if there was something we weren't happy with, maybe talk about it.

4:51

Would that be something we could do?

4:53

That's that's a possibility.

4:54

Yeah, I can ask the the architect to provide us better rendering so you can better visualize the side of the building.

5:00

Because we did that with 7-11 and we had little ideas and well that they might want to talk to them.

5:07

Yeah, that would be my concern.

5:10

Would you like that to be a condition of approval?

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Procedural█████████████████████████████████████████████50%
Engineering And Infrastructure█████████████████████████28%
Environmental Protection███████8%
Public Engagement█████6%
Affordable Housing████4%
Transportation Safety████4%
Summary of Proceedings

Smithtown Town Board Regular Meeting - July 14, 2026

The Smithtown Town Board held its regular meeting on Tuesday, July 14, 2026, at 2:00 PM in the Victor T. Liss Board Room. The board unanimously approved a consent agenda, several resolutions, and personnel items. Two site plans were conditionally approved after presentations from the Planning Department. Two members of the public spoke on traffic issues and wood-burning concerns.

Consent Calendar

  • Minutes of June 17, 2026, approved.
  • Comptroller transfers (13 items): Fund transfers for boat repairs, training, equipment, insurance recoveries, public safety capital, highway drainage, forestry overtime, FEMA aid, parks equipment, marina improvements, and settlements. All adopted unanimously.
  • Resolutions: Levy of costs ($1,437.06) against Wells Fargo for property at 60 Valleywood Road; authorization for Highway Superintendent to enter into Snow & Ice Supplemental Agreement with NYS; authorization for David Barnes and Michael Engelmann to travel to Indiana for clean energy research. All adopted unanimously.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • Bob Simprini (President, Commack Community Association, Levin Delmar Lane, Commack): Raised ongoing heavy truck traffic problems on Town Line Road. Reported that a letter from the school board is forthcoming requesting removal of truck traffic. Asked for updated traffic metering/monitoring and reconstruction of the intersection of Town Line Road and Havemeyer Avenue, describing the road as "literally collapsing." Also reiterated a previous request regarding nuisance codes for backyard wood burning, on behalf of resident Julia Strauss. Directed to contact Traffic Safety and the Highway Superintendent for follow-up.
  • Julia Strauss (address not given): Expressed serious health concerns from a neighbor's wood burning on weekends, stating it affects her family and grandchildren. Provided data from a PurpleAir monitor showing hazardous air quality. Noted that requests to limit burning to two hours were ignored and are now seen as harassment. Urged the board to take action.

Discussion Items

Site Plan Reviews (Board of Site Plan Review)

  • Vincent's Wood Fired Pizza (25-19) – 152 Lake Avenue, St. James: Proposed change of use from office to food retail, facade alterations, garage demolition, and parking lot expansion. Conditions included obtaining permits, monument-style ground sign (max 8 ft height), tree preservation fencing, identification of town drainage on corner of Lake and Woodlawn Avenue with easement as needed, and modified landscaping (boxwood shrubs instead of red cedars). Councilwoman Nowick requested a better rendering before approval; Supervisor Wehrheim suggested tabling but the board opted to approve with a condition that architecture be subject to a site plan addendum. After discussion, the board approved conditionally.
  • Scotsman Auto Body VI (26-01) – Middle Country Road and White Avenue, St. James: Construction of a new 2,400 sq ft one-story repair garage. Conditions: permits, road opening permit from Highway Department, submission of material/color samples, and prohibition on sale/rental of vehicles (consistent with BZA condition). No questions from board. Approved conditionally.

Other Resolutions (All Unanimous)

  • SEQRA Negative Declarations for Kismet Homes, Vincent's Wood Fired Pizza, Scotsman Auto Body, and 43 Landing Avenue LLC.
  • Authorized Town Clerk to advertise six bids due July 30, 2026: Recycling of Electronic Waste, Animal Shelter Supplies, Splash Pad at Paul J. Fitzpatrick Country Club, Electric Upgrades & Field Lighting at Charles P. Toner/Armory Park, Construction of Pergola at Short Beach, and Smithtown Welcome Center Interior Alterations.
  • Awarded Bid #26-029 (Improvements to Long Beach Marina South) to Chesterfield Associates Inc., and Bid #26-035 (Tree Planting Services) to The Roxy Group Inc.
  • Approved numerous actions: release/acceptance of bonds for wireless towers; amendment to 2026 Highway Road Program adding Eckenkamp Drive, Kohr Road, and Essex Place; reduction of non-resident guest pass fee from $30 to $15; Change Order #2 for Cyber Security Service Agreement with AHEAD Inc.; extension of GPS Signal Pre-emption bid; renewal of Arctic Wolf Cyber Security Licenses; bond of $6,000,000 for Town Marina reconstruction (bulkheads, docks, electrical, repaving, landscaping); renewal of Electronic Medical Records agreement with Celerity LLC; extension of emergency response agreement with American Medical Alert Corporation; SEQRA Type II determination for Long Beach Marina south improvements; catering agreement for senior luncheon; addition of Saf-Gard Safety Shoe Co. to vendor list; establishment of standard work day for Zoning Board Member John Savoretti; waiver of attorney-client privilege for Grand Jury subpoena (report by Elena Cacavas, Esq.); ASPCA grant application up to $100,000 for animal shelter enclosure repairs; authorization to prepare plans for NYSDEC permit for Long Beach West Marina; ratification of Supervisor's execution of SAG Side Letter to set Purchasing Director salary at $125,000/year.
  • Local Waterfront Revitalization Plan: Coastal Consistency Review #2026-02 (Irek Modern Home Improvement Inc.) found consistent with conditions.
  • Authorized Supervisor to execute agreements: architectural services for Senior Center (Thomas Vulpis Jr., Architects); renewal of Cyber Security Advisory Services (Carahsoft Technology Corp.); intermunicipal agreements for traffic signs/pavement markings with Villages of Head of the Harbor, Branch, and Nissequogue; online payment system for commercial waste fees (Key Merchant Services/Elavon); aquatic management services (Summer Camp Inc.); and DEC Urban & Community Forestry Grant application.
  • Settlements approved: Kathleen Mango ($50), Karen Matragrano ($641.86), Robert Hoelzer ($2,066.44), LIPA ($1,374.43), and Manufacturers Alliance Insurance Company (as subrogee of Superior Ice Rink) – $850,000.
  • Personnel actions (items A-X): changes in termination dates, seasonal appointments/reappointments, leave of absence, promotions, new appointments (including Purchasing Director Jennifer Crudo at $125,000/year), title/salary changes, all unanimously approved.

Key Outcomes

  • All resolutions and votes were unanimous (5-0).
  • The board will advertise public hearings for August 11, 2026 at 2:00 PM on: Proposed Local Law #12-2026 (disabled veterans tax exemption), Proposed Local Law #11-2026 (solid waste/recyclables), Zone Change Petition #2026-02 (Frances Popolizio – R-43 to LI in Kings Park), and Verizon cable television franchise renewal.
  • Site plans for Vincent's Wood Fired Pizza and Scotsman Auto Body were conditionally approved as presented.
  • Public comments on traffic and wood burning were referred to appropriate departments.
  • Meeting adjourned at approximately 3:30 PM (transcript indicates conclusion after public portion).

Meeting Transcript

Good afternoon, everyone. Welcome to our July 14th board meeting. Please join us in pledge. I pledge allegiance to the flag. Roll call. Supervisor Welhart. Here. Councilman McCarthy. Councilwoman and Zarolo. Here. Councilman Lowman. Yeah. All right, we will begin this afternoon. We have two site plans. Mr. Trotter, you're up. Good afternoon, Supervisor, members of the town board. I'm Liam Trotter with the planning department. And I have two site plans to present to the board this afternoon, acting as the board of site plan review. The first application is called Vincent's Woodfire Pizza. The subject site is located on the southeast corner of Lake Avenue and Woodlawn Avenue in St. James. Their proposal is for a change of use from first floor office to food retail, facade alterations, demolition of an existing detached garage, and a parking lot expansion, a new curb cut on Lake Avenue, and associated site work. So this is the proposed site plan. A lot of the parking along the east side of the building currently exists. The parking lot expansion will occur on the south side of the building. There currently is a drop curb that was installed with the Lake Avenue Restoration Project, so they'll be utilizing that existing drop curve, so there won't be any new disturbance of the sidewalk on Lake Avenue. This is a street view from Woodlawn. This is the garage that will be demolished, and there'll be new head-in parking along the east side of the property. Because there is a neighbor directly to the east, the applicant will be proposing a new PVC fence and plantings along that property line to mitigate any noise and visibility impacts. And this is the street view from Lake Avenue. As you can see right here, this is that existing drop curve that will be accessible with this new parking lot addition. The applicant has agreed to five conditions of site plan approval. The first condition is that the applicant obtain the necessary permits from the town building department and that any proposed ground sign shall be in monument style with a two to three-foot masonry base not to exceed a total height of eight feet. The second condition is that the applicant shall install a tree preservation fence around all trees to be preserved on site. The fourth condition is that prior to the issuance of a CO, the town of Smithtown drainage on the corner of Lake Avenue and Woodlawn Avenue shall be located, identified, and shown on the final as built survey. An easement shall be submitted and approved by the engineering department and then filed with the town for future maintenance of these structures. So there's an existing drain on the corner. And any easements put in place if necessary. And the last condition is that the landscaping and site work shall be modified in accordance with the marked up plan prepared by the planning department dated July 7th, 2026, which is this plan. What we were asking for is the uh the species of uh plants that the applicant had spec'd out along the north side of the parking lot. They were proposing red cedars and arborbides, which are taller of a species and may not be appropriate for this area. Um what we were asking for is uh a boxwood or similar mid-size shrub. Uh it's mainly to screen any any uh cars that might be parked there. And we're also asking for a walkway connection from the south parking area to the entrance of the building. And lastly, this is the proposed facade alterations. The building will be resided with a whiteboard and batten uh and a new faux chimney, which is uh this will be facing the Woodlaw Avenue elevation. Does the board have any questions on this proposal? I do have a question. I'm having a really tough time envisioning that piece of property becoming a pizza place.

SUMMARIZED BY OPENPUBLICA AI
TRANSCRIPT VIA PUBLIC VIDEO
openpublica.com