The Quogue Village Board of Trustees on Friday granted the permits necessary for the owner of an establishment on Midhampton Avenue to operate an automotive repair shop, car wash, car dealership, car rental service and car towing business on the site—nearly a year and a half after the enterprise first began operating.
Rich Rubio, who owns Hampton Motors along with his son Barry Rubio, appeared before the board during its meeting on October 19 with his lawyer, Eric Bregman of the firm Farrell Fritz PC in Bridgehampton. Because the property is zoned light industrial, the Rubios needed a special exception permit to allow for the operation of the car sales, towing and rental facets of their business. They were permitted to operate the automotive repair and service shop because one existed previously on that site.
After no residents voiced concerns during the public hearing portion of Friday’s meeting, the board voted unanimously to approve the special exception permits, thought subject to the condition that no more than five rental cars be on site in a 24-hour period and no more than five cars up for sale be kept on-site at one time.
Mr. Bregman explained that Hampton Motors operates a Hertz Rent-a-Car business, though the vehicles are primarily stored at a location in Riverhead. Though board members permitted the Rubios to operate a car wash, they said it must only be available to cars that come in for detailing or repairs.
The owners were also granted the permit necessary to operate a towing service, but Quogue Mayor Peter Sartorius said he would not allow them to have an impound yard. Hampton Motors has a contract with the New York State and Suffolk County Police to tow impounded vehicles. Mr. Rubio said during the meeting that the vehicles are usually only held at the Midhampton Avenue site for a few hours at a time. He did not respond to calls or emails this week seeking further comment.
Mr. Sartorius said the Rubios must still seek Quogue Village Planning Board approval for the signs displayed in front of the business, and during the meeting he asked that they consent to regular inspections, which they did.
The Rubios began leasing the property from George Mathys in February 2011, just after closing the doors on a high-end car sales shop they previously operated on Old Riverhead Road in Westhampton Beach. Since then, they have appeared before the Quogue Village Board on several occasions in an attempt to secure the permits. Though in the past they have been cited for operating the facets of business without the permits and without the necessary electrical and fire inspections, Quogue Village Building Inspector William Nowak said Friday that there were no outstanding violations.
Also during the meeting, East Quogue resident Harry Mainzer, a former part-time village police officer, addressed the board to discuss what he called a “three-decade-long series of sexual harassment and criminal acts committed by various supervisors” in the Quogue Village Police Department. Though he did not state names or go into detail about specific incidents during his testimony before the board, Mr. Mainzer said that it is an “endemic problem” and he called for the resignation of village police officers.
“The board needs to clean house,” he said. “The supervisors who allowed this should be gone. The officers who committed these acts should be gone. There is no other acceptable response.”
Mr. Sartorius responded to the accusations by stating that he was “fully familiar” with the matters raised by Mr. Mainzer.
“I’ve investigated them, and I’m perfectly happy and comfortable with the disposition now, and the statements you made, because you made them or read them, doesn’t make them true,” he said. “I’m happy with the leadership of our police department and satisfied that the matters have been fully investigated.”
On Tuesday, Mr. Mainzer confirmed that one of the incidents that prompted his complaint was settled late last month. Charlotte Lander, a former jail attendant in the village, has reached a monetary settlement with Quogue Village Police and village officials. In 2011, Ms. Lander, who lives in Quogue, sued both parties, alleging that they ignored her complaints that she had been sexually harassed by John Mangino, a part-time police officer who left a sexually explicit note inside her home.
As part of the settlement, the village agreed to pay Ms. Lander, who quit her job in June 2010 after a decade of employment, a sum of $16,500, the equivalent of three years worth of salary. Additionally, Mr. Mangino has to honor an order of protection that he not come near Ms. Lander or her home, and Quogue Village Police Chief Robert Coughlan and Lieutenant Chris Isola—both defendants in the lawsuit—were required to send her a letter acknowledging that she was not at fault in the incident.
Also during Friday’s meeting, the board unanimously approved the adoption of a law that amends the zoning portion of the village code. The law eliminates the need for homeowners to apply for a variance before altering or reconstructing a building approved for a nonconforming use, though the alteration must not enlarge the structure’s floor area, according to Mr. Nowak. He said that residents often appear before the Quogue Zoning Board of Appeal to request the variance in order to raise their structure before placing it on a new foundation.
The board also scheduled two public hearings to take place on Friday, November 16. The first will allow for public comment on a proposed amendment that would clarify that boat lifts are accessory structures and, therefore, prohibited under the village code. The second hearing will be held on a proposed amendment that would require owners to visibly display the street number of their properties. Mayor Sartorius said displaying the numbers as such would help emergency responders reach their destinations faster and avoid confusion.
Carol Moran on Oct 22, 2012