North Bellmore strip club owner Billy Dean’s appeal against the Town of Hempstead after rejecting a cabaret application for his planned Wantagh establishment is now in the hands of Nassau County Supreme Court Judge Antonio Brandveen.
Wednesday morning’s scheduled hearing at Nassau County Supreme Court in Mineola featured a submission of papers by Dean’s attorney William Cohn and Judge Brandveen is now expected to issue a decision in the next 60 days.
Just before 10 a.m., a court clerk for Judge Brandveen announced to the more than a dozen Billy Dean opponents in attendance that no oral arguments would be heard Wednesday. The hearing date had been scheduled for Feb. 29, but when Cohn requested more time to prepare a reply brief for the appeal.
Dean’s suit against the town argues that the Hempstead BZA should have never revoked its original June 2010 approval for cabaret usage on 3500 Sunrise Highway in Wantagh. The zoning board decided last March to schedule a of Dean’s application under the name Green 2009, Inc. due to vocal that mounted against the development, as well as a belief that not enough people were notified of the original hearing date.
Wantagh resident Kevin Milano, who has organized numerous in front of 3500 Sunrise Highway, told an assembling of Billy Dean opponents outside Judge Brandveen’s chambers that showing up to the hearing was a positive despite no oral arguments taking place.
“I’m glad that we’re all here because it shows that we aren’t going away,” Milano said.
Protests to Dean’s Wantagh plans stem from concerns that he will operate the entertainment facility similar to in North Bellmore, which is advertised on its website as "Long Island’s No. 1 strip club."
Billy Dean’s website provides a link with information that describes the Wantagh venue as one that will offer dinner entertainment with audience participation catering to bachelor, bachelorette and birthday parties. Dean his planned establishment during a May 18 zoning board hearing as one that would feature “a Las Vegas style feel” with jugglers, knife throwers and dancers.
“We want to keep our neighborhood nice,” said Vinny Ciro, who was one of the Wantagh residents to attended Wednesday's hearing in a show of support for the Town of Hempstead in its appeal against Dean. “To try and open a strip club in the community with so much push back, why would you want to do that?”
Chris Molinari, who lives on Locust Avenue in the vicinity of where Dean’s establishment would operate with his 84-year old mother, said he is worried about the noise that would generate from the club.
“If he is going to have bachelor parties it’s not going to be quiet,” Molinari said.
Another opponent to Dean’s Sunrise Highway plans has been Nassau County Legis. Dave Denenberg, D-Merrick, who also attended Wednesday’s hearing.
“I thank the residents of Wantagh and the Wantagh School District for their consistent and vocal opposition to what is clearly an adult entertainment establishment seeking to open its business under a cabaret license,” Denenberg said. “This establishment would adversely affect the quality of life, nature and character and market values of the neighborhood.”
Dean, a Commack resident, acquired the 3500 Sunrise Highway property on the corner of Oakland Avenue in 2009 for $950,000. The suit says that the zoning board "had no basis" for revoking its previous approval of cabaret on 3500 Sunrise Highway and points out that the property has had cabaret usage for previously opened bars and restaurants going back to the late 60s.
