Northport BOE Pushes Point on 7-Eleven

The Northport-East Northport Board of Education voted to submit a statement to the State Supreme Court reemphasizing its opposition to a proposed 7-Eleven on Waterside Avenue and Fort Salonga Road.

The resolution to submit an Amicus curiae, or "friend of the court" brief, was presented after a 30 minute executive session during the BOE's Oct. 15 meeting. Many saw it as a last ditch effort to influence the court's decision in a lawsuit filed by 7-Eleven against the town last year which claims that new regulations adopted by the town unfairly discriminate against convenience stores.

The 7-Eleven would serve as a danger to nearby Northport Middle School students by exacerbating traffic at an already busy intersection and serving as an attractant, said BOE members.

"We feel that this is an accident waiting to happen," said Board President Stephen Waldenberg.

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The resolution to submit the brief was passed with one objection from Trustee Joe Sabia. Sabia was concerned that the $6,500 max attorney fee to draft and submit the brief was a "gamble" of taxpayers money because it is not guaranteed that the court will consider the document.

"At this point we should let the proceedings take their course of action and see where it goes from there," he said.