Smithtown OKs a site plan for McDonald's in Commack. Is a Raising Cane's also on the way?

The Smithtown Town Board has approved a site plan for a McDonald's on Crooked Hill Road in Commack after the chain closed a nearby location in September.

Meanwhile, town officials and representatives of another popular restaurant chain — Raising Cane's Chicken Fingers — appear to contradict each other on whether it will open a restaurant at the site of the closed McDonald's on Motor Parkway.   

The town board voted 5-0 at its regular meeting Oct. 23 to approve the site plan for the McDonald’s. That plan calls for a 4,130-square-foot, one-story building to be constructed in Commack’s zoning district, according to submissions to the town from Bohler Engineering PLLC.

McDonald's closed the Motor Parkway location in September, according to town planning department officials. The proposed McDonald’s calls for a 43-seat restaurant to be built in a 173,863-square-foot shopping center.

McDonald’s representatives did not respond to requests for comment.

Under the site plan review decision, the McDonald’s site has 10 conditions for approval. They include maintaining a stormwater pollution prevention plan during construction, having the town fire marshal approve plans before a building permit is approved, and granting a permanent easement to a nearby Lowe’s at the shopping center. 

Smithtown Planning Department officials said an application for a Raising Cane’s, which would be at the Motor Parkway site of the closed McDonald's, is pending site plan review. Planning officials said the town board would likely be able to review the site plan this month.

But Raising Cane’s representatives issued a statement that read, “we currently do not have any confirmed plans to open a restaurant in Smithtown, NY, and are not actively pursuing any sites in the area.”

Raising Cane’s had proposed opening sites in Commack, East Meadow and Hauppauge. However, in May of last year, the chain canceled those plans and delayed opening any restaurants on Long Island until next year, when Bay Shore and Carle Place locations are expected to open, Newsday previously reported.

Smithtown Supervisor Ed Wehrheim said in an interview after the town board meeting that the restaurant chains would be welcome additions to the Commack community. “Where we site these restaurants, those locations are all busy,” Wehrheim said regarding the business viability of the sites.