7-Eleven to replace old Island Grille

The Town of Brookhaven recently granted a zone change to make way
for the 7-Eleven/fueling station move from across the street to the former Island Grille location on Hospital Road in East Patchogue.

Earlier this year, the town approved the site plan for the building and fueling
station. Councilman Neil Foley, representing the district, noted that the proposed building was approved for the zone change with special use permits on June 18, 2020 and amended in October with permits and covenants. The proposal will now have to go before the planning board, he noted.

The approved project indicated no more than a 2,995-square-foot building
and a minimum of 40 feet of landscaped front yard area adjacent to Sunrise Highway, 20-feet adjacent to Hospital Road.

Though a timeline on the proposed site plan has not been established after permits are granted, Sean O’Neil, 7-Eleven real estate manager for the North East Atlantic zone, said that construction will begin.

However, site plan applications, especially those with board of appeals variances, can typically take eight to 10 months for review, and several public
hearings will be held. O’Neil said they are aiming to break ground in 2022.

“The parcel has been a blighted eyesore in disrepair for many years and 7-Eleven has committed to beautifying the area,” Foley said, supporting the
project.

According to O’Neil, the current location across the street has been operating in the community since the 1980s.

Though the location will be closed, he said, 7-Eleven currently has a long-term
lease on the building and plans to sublease it for hospital use.

However, Long Island Community Hospital officials stated that they do not
have any plans on leasing or purchasing any more buildings on Hospital Road at this time.

Also, president and CEO Richard T. Margulis said, “We have always been and
continue to be concerned with the traffic flow across Hospital Road Bridge to our hospital. Ensuring we are accessible to our community in times of emergency is our main interest. We want emergency vehicles to reach the hospital quickly and safely.”

The new site will be much larger, O’Neil noted, with more gas ports and a
larger, newer facility.

“That store sees high volumes of customers and has been in the community for a long time,” he added. “This is the right thing to do for this community.”