Southampton Village Planning Board Mulls Citarella Site Plan

Discussion about a plan to convert the Hampton Road mini-mall into a new market, possibly a Citarella, continued at Monday night’s Southampton Village Planning Board meeting. Board members and attorney John Bennett, who represents building owner Arturo Quiros, discussed what alterations the board would like to see made to the plan.

Planner Kathy Eiseman, an employee of Nelson, Pope & Voorhis of Melville and who works as a full-time consultant for the Village Planning Board, said that the applicant needs to find a solution to keep shopping carts out of the municipal parking lot behind the Hampton Road shops, and said the board wants to ensure that after he upgrades a storm water drainage system, he repaves and levels the parking lot.

Ms. Eiseman also said Mr. Quiros may want to provide a second entrance to a second floor retail space as well, even if it is not required.

A public hearing concerning the plan is slated for Monday, March 4, at 6 p.m.

In November, Mr. Quiros submitted a site plan application to the Planning Board for approval of interior alterations to 20 and 22 Hampton Road, which would include a sewage upgrade behind 26 Hampton Road. He recently purchased 26 Hampton Road in order to have enough sewage rights to accommodate the proposed market.

If the plan gets the green light, Mr. Quiros will be able to convert the eight-unit mini-mall into one large market. Because a market is a permitted use where the mall is located in the village business district, the proposal would not require a change of use variance. Years ago, the building housed an A&P grocery store.

While the application does not specify that the market would be a Citarella, and Mr. Bennett declined to discuss what company Mr. Quiros may be working with, Village Mayor Mark Epley said that was the case, and Suffolk County Health Department paperwork identified Citarella as the applicant.