Plan advances for new 7-Eleven in St. James

A 7-Eleven is one step closer to being built on the site of a former Capital One Bank building in St. James after Smithtown officials recently gave the go-ahead for the building's site plan.

The Smithtown Town Board voted 5-0 earlier this month to approve the site plan for the new store.

The plan calls for demolition of the shuttered 2,898-square-foot bank structure on the corner of Lake and Woodlawn avenues to clear the way for construction of a 4,050-square-foot, one-story building that will house the convenience store.

J. Nazzaro Partnership owns the property and proposed the project. The Bay Shore-based company also is the developer behind a multi-restaurant project on Route 111 in Hauppauge awaiting final site plan approval from the town.

Smithtown Planning Director Peter Hans said at the town board meeting that site plan approval for the 7-Eleven was subject to several conditions. The conditions include that 7-Eleven closes an existing store at 356 Lake Ave. in St. James and obtains construction permits from the town's building department.

Other conditions are: 

The sale of vape and hookah products will be banned, The store adopts a decorative style and protective bollards, The installation of mesh fencing around trees that will be preserved, The submission of a site plan addendum for modifications to the proposed architecture, The installation of a decorative clock and landscaping.

Liam Trotta, a town environmental planner, said the site plan addendum involving the building’s architecture is key, as town officials want a larger cupola and columns, among other items, on the structure.

J. Nazzaro Partnership can begin construction if the town approves the addendum and issues building permits, he said.

“We’ve been working with the property owners to work out those minor details,” Trotta added.

J. Nazzaro Partnership officials and 7-Eleven representatives didn't return requests for comment.