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By: Progress for Westhampton Beach
A special meeting was convened to continue and complete two public hearings and hold a third. The first hearing was on Tonino’s application for a special exception to allow for additional seating. The hearing was closed without any further comment.
The second hearing was a continuation and completion on the hearing on the special exception to permit the owner of the old Sunset Avenue bowling alley to provide commercial space of 7,000 additional square feet for a commercial tenant above the 3,000 square foot limit. See CVS Posts, Parts I to V. There was opposition predicated upon the proposed use of this commercial space for CVS, but the village attorney attempted to make it clear, that is not a permissible consideration and that if the requirements under the code are met, then the board of trustees is required to grant the exception.
The third hearing held pertained to changes to the village code as pertains to peddling and soliciting.
The work session is at times a cauldron for ideas to be stirred, and this evening fit the bill. Trustee Rob Rubio asked for a representative from Chargepoint to make a presentation to the board. Chargepoint provides charging stations for electric cars. See list of electric cars. The biggest selling point was that having charging stations available would draw drivers into the village, to recharge and shop / dine while topping off the charge required. This selling point has evident validity during the early stages of an automotive transition to electric cars. The wager on such a transition taking place is the bet being made by Chargepoint and any commercial establishment that puts up a charging station. Hmmm, sounds like something for a Business Improvement District (BID). See e.g. NYC Business Improvement Districts.
Another idea advanced was rental stations for bicycles like those corporately sponsored in NYC by Citibank. Trustee Brian Tymann has already begun speaking with Bart and Toni-Jo Birk at Bike & Kite, with an eye towards employing their expertise in management and bicycle maintenance for such a program. The idea is in its infancy and requires more investigation and discussion.
The village is also entertaining the idea of bringing the beach food concession in-house. The proposal was favorably received, and the details will have to be worked out in the coming months for the 2016 summer season.
