Planned Family Fun Center clears hurdle

A Family Fun Center proposed to open early this summer at the former day laborer hiring site in Huntington Station is closer to becoming a reality: The Huntington Town planning board recently voted to support an application before the town's zoning board of appeals for a parking variance and special-use permit for the Depot Road center.

Brad Rosen, owner of the property between 3rd and 4th streets and of a building across the street, wants to build an indoor-outdoor facility with batting cages, paintball target tag, and virtual sports such as golf, baseball and basketball.

Before the vote, planning board Chairman Paul Mandelik said he thought having such a facility for young people in the area was a "good idea." The measure passed, 5-0, at Wednesday night's meeting.

Planning board recommendations are sought by the town board and ZBA in an advisory capacity.

The application before the ZBA asks for a special-use permit to use 38 parking spaces in the municipal lot behind the public library building on the west side of New York Avenue. It also requests a variance because the game center is too close to the library, according to town code.

The town board voted last week to approve amending the code to remove a restriction on where game centers and commercial places of amusement can be located, reducing from 2,000 feet to 200 feet the minimum distance between a game center and a school, library, church, hospital or similar public or semipublic use.

Rosen still needs a variance from the ZBA because the game center is 190 feet from the library.

The ZBA application is expected to be heard at the April 7 meeting.