26 Aug Thank You Long Island Business News: New McDonald’s planned for East Patchogue site
Big thanks to Long Island Business News and David Winzelberg for the coverage. We’re proud to have helped McDonald’s secure zoning approvals and variance relief to reconstruct their East Patchogue location, including the addition of an accessory drive-through.
It’s always rewarding to provide legal services for projects that invest in and modernize our local communities.
New McDonald’s planned for East Patchogue site
Construction will soon begin on a new McDonald’s restaurant in East Patchogue, replacing the fast-food giant’s existing eatery.
The McDonald’s at 769 Montauk Highway is being demolished to make way for a new one-story, 4,359-square-foot restaurant with a modernized design, accessory drive-through, and site and landscaping improvements.
The golden arches have been a familiar site at the Montauk Highway spot for nearly 60 years. There has been a McDonald’s restaurant at the East Patchogue location since around 1967, which has gone through several remodels over the years. The business is owned and operated by franchisee Jonah Kaufman.
While there is an existing McDonald’s restaurant at the site, at the northwest corner of Montauk Highway and Sills Road, the redevelopment project required a change of zone from the J Business 2 Zoning District to the J Business 5 Zoning District, as well as a special permit.
The zoning approvals were handled by partners Keith Brown and Matthew Ingber of Melville-based law firm Brown Altman LLP. In addition, the attorneys secured variance relief from the Town of Brookhaven Board of Zoning Appeals to erect two new wall signs on the north and south building elevations and a ground sign height increase.
“We are proud to have secured these complex approvals for McDonald’s,” Brown said in a statement from the firm. “This outcome reflects our firm’s deep understanding of zoning regulations and our ability to collaborate with town officials, engineers, and corporate stakeholders to achieve results that support economic development and community growth.”
Site plan approval was issued for the project last month. The project team includes Melville-based firms Bohler Engineering and TPD Engineering, as well as Dallas-based AECOM.
“Our team, which included McDonald’s Corporation, Bohler and TPD Engineering, worked diligently to design that incorporated feedback from the neighboring property owner and, at the same time, aligned with McDonald’s operational goals and design standards.”
The East Patchogue McDonald’s drive-thru will remain open as long as possible, according to the project team, and the dining room will open shortly after construction is complete.