Disco era could finally end in Smithtown

The disco era may finally be coming to an end in Smithtown.

Outdated terms such as “discoteque” would be eliminated from the town zoning code under a proposal by Smithtown planning officials, who want to modernize the code.

At a public hearing on the proposal before the town board this week, planning director Frank DeRubeis said it’s been a long time since anyone proposed building a disco. The term “nightclub” should be substituted, he said.

“I think it’s really time to discontinue use of the term ‘discoteque,’ which was a term popularized in the 1970s,” DeRubeis said. No one else spoke at the hearing.

Other phrases that should be added to the zoning code include “health spa,” “showroom” and “microbrewery,” he said. The new language would add “flexibility” to the code and help planning officials determine whether a proposed business is permitted under town law, he said.

The town board will vote on the proposal at a future meeting.