Town Board considers restaurant application

From page 1 York. But he is a partisan politician, and this event was political theatrics.”

Vartanov and Perlman noted that the senator gave similar remarks at other school districts about his proposal to provide extra funds for the FBI to combat hoax threats to schools.

Vartanov and Perlman criticized the superintendent’s unilateral decision to allow Sen. Schumer to use Jericho High School as a backdrop for his remarks.

“The district policy is very clear,” Perlman said. “Any use of school property by an outside agency or individual must have Board approval.”

Superintendent Grishman said that sometimes last-minute decisions must be made, in between Board meetings.

He said that he has operated under this policy for the twenty-plus years he has been superintendent.

Perlman called Sen. Schumer's action “political theatrics.” Perlman called the senator a “ partisan politician ” and commented that “ He's always campaigning. This was just a political stunt, and Jericho allowed itself to be used, without the proper vetting or permission as required by long-standing policy.”

Grishman responded, “You see this as a partisan event. I do not.” because they had not yet obtained a public assembly license for that year.

Board member Dr. Chris Foresto said he supported a process of “vetting” by both the superintendent and the board of any request to use school property by an outside individual or group.

Board lawyer Chris Powers said he will be drawing up a clarification of the existing policy on use of district property by outsiders. One resident suggested that the policy should prevent requests for a “last-minute” approval of district property usage, but it should be made clear that the entire Board must vote on approval or denial of a request before permission or denial is given.

“The violation was resolved by a plea and a disposition, subject to a conditional discharge. Platia pled guilty to the violation for the interior alteration and paid a $900 fine, and the public assembly license violation was dismissed in satisfaction of their applying for the public assembly license and continue the process to legalize their addition to the building,” Prevete explained, leading to the application heard last week.

Spanos and partner Nick Nerantzinis share duties of managing Platia.

She spoke about the restaurant’s success operating just north of the LIRR Syosset station, at the northeast corner of Berry Hill Road and Syosset Cold Spring Road. Platia leases the restaurant property, which is owned by Masti Associates.

The 2023 application called for site plan approval including for the addition, the parking lot, existing lighting on the building and parking area, and landscaping at Platia as well as its two signs – the pylon sign, at the corner of Berry Hill Road and Syosset Cold Spring Road as well as the sign over the entrance. The lot coverage at Platia at 17.5% falls below the 25% coverage permitted by Town Code.

The parking area for Platia fronts Cold Spring Road, next to Roslyn Savings Bank and north of the Shell gas station. The lot has 27 parking spaces.

Platia has been operating at the site since March 1, 2016. It has three fulltime and seven part-time employees working on-site over seven days.

“The site itself consists of 15,184 square feet and the existing first floor which is to be maintained is 2,168.64 square feet, including the addition which we seek to legalize, which is 345 square feet…The restaurant is located in a neighborhood business district and the property is improved with the one-story building utilized as a Greek restaurant. Prior to Platia occupying in 2016 the site had primarily been used as different restaurants as right before Platia it was Toast & Tapas, prior to that Americana Kitchen & Bar, and before that Pomodorino,” Prevete told the Town Board.

A restaurant has been at the location for around 20 years, said the attorney, who spoke about the growing Syosset business district and the many commercial properties surrounding Platia. The closest residential block is East Street to its north and no residential street in Syosset directly adjoins Platia Greek Kitchen.

Most properties within 300 feet of the restaurant are zoned for “neighborhood business district” and the length of Cold Spring Road is developed with commercial enterprises and operations, save for the area to the west at the Muttontown Road/Split Rock Road intersection, which has Town of Oyster Bay Housing Authority residential buildings.

According to Prevete, another site improvement planned is replacement of the dumpster enclosure at Platia with a six-foot-high chain link fence with vinyl to shield the dumpster from view. Deliveries of food and supplies to Platia occur on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays before the restaurant opens, between 9 and 11:30 a.m.

Prior to the Board vote to approve the application, Town Clerk Richard LaMarca explained there were no prior variances or open town code enforcement bureau cases. Town administration also noted memos from the Department of Planning and Development, including its review of required offstreet parking.

Platia will proceed to apply to the Town of Oyster Bay Zoning Board of Appeals as it seeks a variance for the existing non-compliant front yard on Berry Hill Road, as well as the noncompliant number of off-street parking spaces. “The Town Building Department has told us we need those two variances,” the attorney noted.