A proposal by Woodbury Hotel Associates, LLC for a modest expansion of its Best Western Woodbury Inn hotel, located in Woodbury at Jericho Turnpike and Piquets Lane, met with no opposition, yet drew several important community-minded suggestions, as an application for the project came before the Oyster Bay Town Board on Tuesday evening, February 16.

The seven-member town board appeared to look favorably upon the proposal, particularly because plans would include beautification efforts and work to make the property's parking lot more compliant with local specifications. Nevertheless, concerns did emerge over safe ingress and egress, as well as some carelessly discarded garbage found lying about.

The application specifically requested a special use permit to modify the hotel's current status. The hotel property, which was built in March of 1959, primarily consists of two floors with 85 rooms and 16,300 square feet of meeting space, as well as a Chinese restaurant. The owners, represented by attorney Peter Mineo, wish to diminish the size of the conference space to add 13 more rooms. They also asked that the town rescind existing covenants that restrict traffic in and out of the hotel. It was this latter request, and not the expansion itself, that was the preponderance of the hearing.

The property owners want drivers heading west on Jericho Turnpike to be able to enter the hotel driveway by making a left turn across traffic, though there is no light signal at the location, where car flow can become quite voluminous. Town Supervisor John Venditto, supported by several councilmen, implored the owners to rethink the request. He said that there was a reason the town had originally allowed ingress solely on Piquets Lane, and reasons have only grown as has commercial industry along Route 25.

Venditto said that the applicants' ingress and egress plans sounded "inherently dangerous" and told the owners, through the attorney, to "come to a more sensible arrangement."

Such an arrangement might include a large, visible sign instructing westbound drivers to turn left onto Piquets to gain access, as was suggested by Nassau County Legislator Judy Jacobs, a resident of Woodbury, who voiced her concerns. This would cover the owners' concerns that travelers are frequently confused when trying to access the hotel.

Councilman Leonard Symons expressed an additional problem that hotel owners needed to clean up - literally. "When I passed by [the hotel recently], the garbage was so offensive," he said. Symons complained that refuse was blowing around the land. Legislator Jacobs added that many local residents walk or jog past this unpleasant, noisome site all too frequently.

"Why don't we get it cleaned up so that this Sunday Mr. Symons is spared what he saw last Sunday?" urged Venditto.

Venditto did stress that overall, the hotel is a "well-run facility" with a clean record, and the board seemed entirely agreeable with the crux of the project - the expansion. The attorney also tried to impress upon the board that the modifications requested for the hotel, when completed, would help the inn better comply with the town code for mandatory parking spaces, because the large conference room has always demanded many parking spots that the hotel just does not have. He also stressed that there would be some aesthetic work, consisting of tree plantings, to beautify the parking lot that currently exists.

Venditto said that the couple of stumbling blocks brought before the board that evening - the ingress plans and the garbage - should be easy fixes that can easily be taken care of long before the board goes to vote. By the conclusion of the hearing, it was evident that Woodbury Hotel Associates, LLP could not successfully use their expansion project as a means of also undoing their ingress restrictions, while on the other hand the town was able to take advantage of the request by demanding some quality-of-life improvements.

Symons Catches Wind of Big News

Prior to the hearing, Venditto announced that Symons, a weather aficianado, was selected as the sole Nassau County representative for a major upcoming National Hurricane Center conference.

"For me, this is the equivalent of going to Disneyland," said Symons, a champion of coastal protection and storm safety programs. "I'm looking forward to participating and working with the best and brightest in the country."