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A resounding ‘no’ for Seaford gas station

Community meeting shows opposition to QuickChek proposal

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There was little support among a crowd of nearly 100 people at the Seaford Firehouse on Jan. 13 for a QuickChek gas station, which has been proposed for Merrick Road, across from Pathmark.

The meeting, hosted by the Seaford Harbor Civic Association, was contentious throughout, with residents often shouting down QuickChek representatives as they tried to answer questions. Officials from the Town of Hempstead, which will have the final say on the proposal, were also on hand.

The company is looking to build a 6,500-square-foot convenience store and install eight gas pumps on property now occupied by a smaller gas station, a car storage lot and woods that are part of an adjacent residential property.

One of the greatest concerns, residents said, is an increase in traffic on Merrick Road, which they say is already congested, particularly during the morning and afternoon rush hours. Mary Lucere, president of the Seaford Chamber of Commerce, said that while she would like to see the site improved, there are already too many accidents on Merrick Road, and she doesn’t want something that would add to the problem.

Frank Filiciotto, a traffic expert for Stonefiled Engineering, said he expects that QuickChek would pick up customers from existing traffic.

Bob Valerio, vice president of real estate for QuickChek, added that the site proposal is larger than that of an average gas station for safety reasons. He said it was designed so that if there were a wait for the gas pumps, cars would be on the property, and not blocking traffic on Merrick Road.

Valerio spoke about the history of the company, saying its roots go back to 1888, when it was a dairy farm and milk processor. The first QuickChek convenience store opened in 1967, and there are currently 140 stores in New York and New Jersey, including 48 that dispense gas.

“All of our stores basically service the local market,” he said, adding that the 30 to 50 employees needed would also come from the community.

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