Businesses rally against Bonefish

At a Board of Zoning Appeals meeting on April 23, Bonefish Grill’s appeal for a parking variance was adjourned until May 7, pushing back even further the restaurant’s opening date.

Bonefish, at 340 Sunrise Highway, was originally scheduled to open on April 21, but had to delay due to confusion over its parking arrangement. The initial plan called for the restaurant to share space in a private lot with the neighboring Chase Bank from 4 p.m. onward. (Both buildings are owned by the same person.) But because the lot technically belongs to the bank property — and because Bonefish’s property line does not abut the municipal lot behind the building — the restaurant needs a parking variance.

The error has pushed the opening back until later this month. The exact date depends on when, and if, Bonefish’s variance is approved. According to village spokesman Ed Grilli, the restaurant also still needs final approvals from the public works, water and health departments as well as the Nassau County fire marshal, and there needs to be a final walkthrough so the restaurant can get business and public assembly licenses from the village.

Disagreement about hours

Michael Zapson, an attorney who is representing Bonefish, declined to comment about the case because it is still before the zoning board.

At the April 23 hearing, Bonefish’s representatives also said that the restaurant had always planned to open for lunch — a claim that took many of the other business owners there by surprise.

“There have been a lot of questions about [Bonefish’s] hours, and possibly representations previously made,” Zapson said. “I have reviewed the DVDs from the prior zoning board meetings … and all previous filings. I did not find any representations that [Bonefish] was not going to be open for lunch.”

The owners of some of the businesses that will share the municipal lot with Bonefish took exception to its plan to open for lunch, which they said went against the original agreement they made with the restaurant.