Public supports move of Siller business to share space at Cornucopia

Speaker after speaker rallied at the Town Board meeting Monday night to support former supervisor Gerry Siller’s site plan application to relocate his business, Grady Riley Gardens, from its premises at 80 Menantic Road to space at an adjacent property at 47 West Neck Road on a lot with a two-family house and Mary Lou Eichhorn’s Cornucopia Gift Shop.

Mr. Siller’s nursery business would be toward the back of the parcel with retail space shared with Ms. Eichhorn. Mr. Siller said he’s seeking temporary conditional approval from the Building Department because of seasonal limitation and ability to employ local residents and serve the community this summer.

“I’m just trying to serve the town,” Mr. Siller said. He said because his business has long existed on the Island and would be downsized from his current space, he had not realized site plan review would be necessary since there are no changes to the site. But the Planning Board, in accepting the assignment for a site plan review, noted in a June 16 memo that it included a Short Environmental Assessment Form, and an off-street parking plan that would meet needs.

An initial review of the submitted application referenced “businesses central to the Island are part of our Island culture” and is in line with what the Comprehensive Plan encourages.

“The Planning Board did not find any negative impacts in either the natural features or cultural features section of the code as the surrounding businesses with similar characteristics,” according to a memo it issued to the Town Board.

“Grady Riley LLC provides a nature-like compatibility in the display of potted flowering plants and other garden-related activities,” the memo added.

A letter received by the Town Board from Helen Starzee, a West Neck Road neighbor, had requested that Monday night’s public hearing should be delayed to allow time for an objection to the plan based on an inability to provide screening between the operation of the Starzee property. The Planning Board noted the Starzee pool area was at a higher elevation than the planned Grady Riley Gardens operation and could cause visual and sound issues. 

The Planners suggested Grady Riley Gardens might consider a temporary “breathable” roof lattice that could possibly shield the view and sound, or work with the neighbor “to seek a mutually acceptable screening design which may be fully or partially funded by the applicant as a peaceful means of making adjacent property lines less abrasive.”

Ms. Eichhorn told the Town Board, “It would be a pleasure” to share the retail space with Mr. Siller and be surrounded by flowers instead of dirt. Without a deal to share the space, Ms. Eichhorn said she considered closing the shop and Mr. Siller said he also entertained closing his business.

Camille Anglin, whose daughter, Amber, operates All Dogged Up on the site, said the Town Board needs to encourage businesses that want to continue. Too many homeowners and business operators are being told “they can’t have their dreams. Mr. Siller deserves to continue his business.”

“I think it’s a win, win, win” for everyone, former councilman Glenn Waddington said.

Emily Demarchelier said the application should go through since she supports the business as “essential.”

Pam Demarest questioned whether there might be a need for upgrading the septic system: she thought that should be a condition to approval of the application and questioned whether water use would increase. Matt Sherman of Sherman Engineering and Consulting said those factors were looked at and there was no reason to involve the Suffolk County Department of Health and water use wouldn’t be changing.

The Suffolk County Department of Public Works might want a curb cut for access to the site, he added.

Mr. Siller said the only changes would be minor inside the shop to accommodate his retailing of his plants and flowers.

The public hearing was adjourned until July 21.