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VOL. 130 NO. 13
MARCH 26 - APRIL 1, 2025
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Amityville voters focused on village’s future when choosing the new mayor By CAROLYN JAMES cjames@liherald.com
Carolyn James/Herald
From left to right: Kat Donnelly of the applicants’ architectural firm; Michael Duignan, architect; Andrew Isaacson, Lilly Kanarova, and Jonathan Labossiere, with restaurant design.
Amityville planners okay new restaurant & winery, deliberate on roofline and mixed-use variances By CAROLYN JAMES cjames@liherald.com
The Amityville Planning Board recently approved an application for a new restaurant and winery at the former site of the Bulldog restaurant on Merrick Road. Amityville Cellars Holdings proposes a one-story restaurant and winery featuring a wine cellar offering New York State products, including wine, liquor and beer. The venue will also include a greenhouse and al-fresco dining. Restaurateurs Lilly and Josh Kanarova will own and operate Amityville Cellars along with Jonathan Labossiere and Andrew Isaacson. The architect is Michael J. Duignan of Long Island Architecture Studio in Wantagh. The Kanarova’s also own Salumi in Massapequa and Plancha in Garden City. The site, at 292 Merrick Road, is approximately one acre and is split-zoned, with portions in both a B-2 Business district and Residential A and B districts. The board approved a use variance, allowing the project to move forward.
Plans include placing the parking lot and kitchen toward the front of the building, which is the commercially zoned area. “In addition, we plan to put fencing along three sides of the building in consideration of our neighbors,” Lilly Kanarova said. She anticipates that the winery will be up and running within the next 18 to 24 months. Resident Wendy Canestro voiced support for the project. “I think this will be a wonderful addition to our village,” she said. Other Board Actions In other business, the board heard from residents urging the approval of a variance for Vincent and Caroline Franco of 32 Marion Lane. The Francos have been in a longstanding dispute with the village over renovations made to their home in 2020. Village officials said the roofline was raised to 34 feet, 10 inches—higher than the 30 feet permitted under the approved plans. This issue led to a stop-work order, and the home remains unfinished. The matter has been the subject of multiple hearings and a court case, with no resolution. An architect working on behalf of the FranCONTINUED ON PAGE 2
After a busy four-month election season, Amityville Village voters headed to the polls March 18 to choose a new mayor and two trustees. As they arrived at polling places at Amityville Memorial High School and Park Avenue Memorial Elementary School, voters voiced concerns about balancing the village’s future growth with maintaining its small-town charm. Services, roads, and the upkeep of parks were also key issues for many residents. “If you don’t vote, you don’t have the right to complain,” said Jean Gargiulo, a local voter. “This is a beautiful town, and I want to keep it that way.” Cathe Franke, another voter, expressed support for current Mayor Dennis Siry’s initiatives. “There are a lot of good things about our town that the current mayor brought here, such as all of the special events. I hope the next mayor continues that,” Franke said. Three candidates ran for mayor: Eric Onderdonk, a former Amityville police officer, and trustees Michael O’Neill and Kevin Smith. When the votes were tallied around 10 p.m., O’Neill emerged victorious with 983 votes. Onderdonk garnered 773 votes, while Smith received 222 votes. Kevin Smith thanked voters for their trust and support over the years. “It has been an honor to work alongside Mayor Dennis
Siry since 2013, tackling challenges such as Super Storm Sandy and overcoming significant financial struggles,” said Smith. “At one point the village was in financial distress with near junk bond ratings. However, alongside Clerk-Treasurer Catherine Murdock, we have placed the Village on solid financial footing—one that will sustain us well into the future.” In an online statement. Collorafi also thanked voters and wished the new Mayor and Trustees well as they work to form the next Village government. “I hope they will embrace the opportumity to reduce taxes, spending and debt and improve local recreation facilities and expand local participation in civic life,” he said. Many voters also focused on fiscal responsibility, stressing the importance of affordability alongside quality services. “I voted for people who I thought would give us a balanced budget,” one voter said, asking to remain anonymous. “We need adequate services, good infrastructure, etc., but we also have to bring businesses into the village to help make it all affordable for the people who live here.” “I want to make sure that the village keeps developing and remains prosperous,” said Diane Mannix, another voter. O’Neill thanked his supporters and expressed gratitude for their trust. Reflecting on his victory, he spoke about the village’s ongoing Downtown Revitalization projects, which CONTINUED ON PAGE 2