Fad Owners Want To Build 7 Apartments In Village

Owners of the Fad accessories store in Huntington village, above, are looking to build seven new apartments on two floors above the existing one-floor operation.

By Andrew Wroblewski

awroblewski@longislandergroup.com

Owners of the Fad accessories store will go before the town’s Zoning Board of Appeals next week to seek a special-use permit for parking to build seven new apartments on two floors above the current one-floor operation.

Applying as Axcel Realty Corp., Donna and Allan Axelowitz need the board to approve a special-use permit to use municipal parking. They will go before the ZBA during a public hearing at its Dec. 3 meeting, slated for 6 p.m. at Huntington Town Hall.

Fad, at 415 New York Ave., is one of several businesses damaged by a nearby March 2, 2014 fire.

“They [Fad] suffered fire damage along with Red [restaurant] and it’s been slow coming back. They’re looking to go forward,” said Axcel’s attorney, Jim Margolin.

Margolin said the proposal consists of both one- and two-bedroom apartments.

“They think there’s a need for apartments in the village,” Margolin said

An unrelated proposal to build apartments atop Red restaurant was given the go-ahead by the town in August. Owners of the restaurant plan to erect a second story consisting of two apartments, a one-bedroom and a two-bedroom. The town’s planning board approved the proposed site plan in August under the condition that a total of two parking spaces in the lot behind Red would be dedicated to apartment residents.

Earlier this month, the ZBA heard two separate unrelated proposals that would add a total of 32 apartments to Huntington village: 20 behind Albert’s Mandarin Gourmet on New York Avenue and 12 at the northeast corner of Stewart Avenue and Gerard Street. Both applicants seek special-use permits for parking, but the board tabled the proposals during its Nov. 5 meeting.