New Kia Dealership Gets Go-Ahead

Above, the site at 1720 E Jericho Turnpike, Huntington is pictured in January. Left, a bird’s eye view of the proposal to convert the site to a Kia dealership.

By Connor Beach
cbeach@longislandergroup.com

The Huntington Planning Board approved last Wednesday plans to open the first Kia dealership in the Town of Huntington.

The conditional site plan approval, which was granted without any objections from the board members, allows Huntington Kia to move forward with plans to convert a former Toyota service center on 1720 East Jericho Turnpike in Huntington into a Kia dealership and sales center.

“We’ve had this proposal before us a couple of times now, and I think we are ready,” Planning Board Chairman Paul Mandelik said.

During its Jan. 11 meeting, the Zoning Board of Appeals approved a special use permit for the converted use.

West Islip-based applicant JM North Shore Motors assuaged the ZBA’s concerns about traffic patterns at the site by modifying the site plan. The modification widened the radius of the entrance on the east side of the property to allow for easier access for tractor trailers to deliver cars to the dealership, if necessary, according to Huntington-based attorney John Breslin, who is representing the applicant.

Plans for the 20,400-square-foot dealership call for almost no new construction, but slight changes to the front of the building, according to plans submitted to the town.

The proposed dealership would have 18,000-square-feet of floor space on its first floor, and an additional 2,400 square feet in its mezzanine.

Breslin said the last step in the approval process is the issuance of a town building permit.

“They need a building permit to finish the outside of the building, and for the minimal site work that they need to do,” Breslin said.

Breslin said the application for the building permit was submitted earlier this week.