The Rockville Centre Board of Zoning Appeals voted Wednesday night to grant area variances for a proposed three-story, 63-room Tru by Hilton hotel at 150 Sunrise Highway, the former La-Z-Boy Furniture site, clearing an initial zoning hurdle for the project.
The approval grants relief from village zoning requirements governing setbacks along Sunrise Highway and other property lines, a two-foot height variance allowing a 38-foot structure where 36 feet is permitted, and a parking variance reducing the required 63 on-site spaces to 44, along with related adjustments to parking layout and circulation requirements.
Before voting, board members focused primarily on the parking request while expressing little concern over the setback and height relief. Members generally agreed the site represents an appropriate reuse of the long-vacant property, but several raised concerns about the possibility that insufficient on-site parking could lead hotel guests to park elsewhere and potentially cross Sunrise Highway at night.
Discussion also centered on parking ratios for hotels in the village, with members referencing prior approvals and noting some inconsistency in how counts had been discussed in earlier hearings. One member said the standard expectation is typically one parking space per room, though the board acknowledged variations depending on site conditions and prior approvals.
Ultimately, members concluded the applicant’s traffic and parking studies supported granting the variances. They also suggested the Rockville Centre Planning Board consider whether a designated drop-off or pickup area for ride-share services and hotel guests could help improve circulation and reduce confusion on the site.
During deliberations, members briefly addressed the height variance request, with one member noting the proposed building would not significantly impact surrounding properties due to its self-contained design.
The applicant’s representatives argued the project would have minimal impact on surrounding traffic conditions and would provide a productive reuse of the long-vacant parcel.
“The key finding is that the conditions of the traffic are not greatly exacerbated by the proposed development,” said transportation engineer Aaron Machtay of VHB Engineering. He added that updated traffic counts showed current volumes are comparable to or lower than those recorded when a medical office building was previously approved for the property.
Architect Matthew DeGiaimo, owner of the Rockville Centre-based DeGiaimo Group, said the requested height variance was needed due to drainage conditions, groundwater concerns and emergency vehicle clearance requirements. “The ground is not conducive to creating the proper drainage that’s needed,” he said.
Support for the project also came from resident Jeff Greenfield, a former chairman of the village Board of Zoning Appeals and current vice chairman of the Nassau County Planning Commission, who spoke as a private citizen. “I would like to see this board approve it because I think this would be the best use for that location,” he said. “It would help clean up the entrance to our village.”
Attorney Dominick Minerva of Minerva & D’Agostino, who represented the applicant, said after the vote that he was pleased with the decision and expects to continue through the remaining village review process.
“We think, as we stated at the hearing, it’s going to be a great use for this site,” he said. “There’s nothing else that would work better.”
The application has been under review since April and will now proceed to the planning board for further site plan review. Its next scheduled meeting is July 21. Construction cannot begin until all required village approvals are completed, a process expected to take several more months.
