Local Residents Want Checkers To Check Out

Residents local to a proposed Checker's drive-through hamburger burger restaurant to be located at 5075 Sunrise Highway want it their way...and that way is not to have a fast food place so close to their back yards.

The establishment, to be built within 200 feet of their homes, sits in front of a parking lot used by the Capital One bank next door, a popular hangout for youngsters at night.

Richard Rosso lives on Bertha Lane adjacent to the parking lot and claims he's called the police on troublemaking teens on more than one occasion.

"Kids hang out there, drinking and littering...many times I find beer bottles and drug paraphernalia thrown over my fence," he said. "Now we're going to feed them?"

Angela Insinga, a neighbor of Rosso, is also against the Checkers establishment.

"I'm not interested in the rodents, the bugs, the smell, the traffic, the noise, or the lights,“ she said. “If you look through my rear bay window, you're going to be looking at Checkers."

"We already have the kids hanging out there," she added. "Now, with Checkers, they're never going to leave, and they're still going to be up to no good."

The complainants recently attended a meeting with Benjamin Heitner, co-owner of the Checkers franchise, and his lawyer, Judy Simoncic. The meeting was hosted by the Town of Oyster Bay in hopes of finding common ground.

Heitner cited his track record with residents who live around his other Checkers locations, including East Meadow.

"We're a good neighbor," he said. "We don't have garbage, rodents, or odor, and we keep our properties well-maintained."

Heitner also refuted the claim that his restaurant would generate additional traffic.

"We are not a destination spot," he said. "According to traffic studies, we should generate less volume than the previous lot occupant, which was a Hess station."

Simoncic said that the design of the restaurant catered to the needs to the immediate community.

"The building will be 60 feet from the property line," she said. "It was designed to keep it as close to Sunrise Highway and as far from residences as possible. Also, all lighting faces the street, and not the homes."

"We want their input, and hopefully we can work together address any concerns," Simoncic added.

Hal Meyer, environmental consultant to the Town of Oyster Bay, tried his best to author a compromise between the two parties.

"The parking lot is owned by the landlord of the Capital One Bank building," he said. "We can work with them about installing No Trespassing signs and security, as well as with the local police so we have regular patrols going by. This problem existed before Checkers came around...these are their neighbor's kids doing this."

In the end, both sides appeared to reach an understanding. However, after the meeting, Angela Insinga's husband, William, still expressed misgivings.

"I don't think we made any progress," he said. "I still think it's going to go through...but hopefully, the changes that we talked about will happen."