The Bellport Sunoco Gas Station and its Grab & Go convenience store at 1741 Montauk Highway, in North Bellport, transformed the northern corner by Station Road in 2019 with its modern, well-maintained look.

Now, its owner, John Farakh Iqbal, wants to replicate the same effect across the street at 1742 Montauk Highway with his Bellport Center Plan.

Preferring to be referred to as Farakh, he pitched the plan at the latest Greater Bellport Coalition Committee meeting last Tuesday at South Country Ambulance, with his architect Tahir Qureshi, P.E., of Long Island Engineering & Architecture.

“We sent a letter of support to Brookhaven Town a month ago,” said JoAnn Neal, GBC co-chair with Regina Crawford, “and we’ll go to the town board meeting when it’s presented.”  Farakh brought his architect and attorney to the meeting.

Right now, his site plan, filed under Fraz Realty Inc., was submitted several months ago with the town, he said.

Reynolds Tax Service, an over 40-year-old company, is currently on the site and is still busily operating. Neal said the owner, William Reynolds, was retiring.

Farakh said hopefully, if his project is approved, he’ll move to tear down the building for the Bellport Center. Farakh had fingers crossed in anticipation that the project wouldn’t start until the end of 2025.

Farakh said he’s invested $2 million in developing the Sunoco Station as well as purchasing its property, which backs up to  Atlantic Avenue and is located next door to Miracle Plaza.

“We wanted a nice gas station,” Crawford said. The former Sunoco was a crumbling eyesore. “He even gave us a decorative fountain.”

“I’ll spend $2.4 million on the new project.  I want it to look nice,” Farakh said. “I live here; I’ve lived in Bellport since 1991, and I have a lot of respect for the local residents.”

Farakh’s project, 4,300 square feet, 5,300 with the second floor on the 22,221-square-foot lots (a little more than a half-acre), includes signage for four tenants on the first floor. “The second floor will be dedicated to the North Bellport community’s nonprofits for meetings,” he said.

“We said we needed that,” Neal said of the second-floor addition.

Possible tenants discussed at the meeting included a pizzeria, a small chicken establishment similar to the former Spicey’s, and a 24-hour walk-in clinic, agreed Farakh.

“We’re still hoping for a laundromat,” said Neal. Neal has witnessed residents biking to the nearest one with laundry bags propped on their handlebars. “But that would have to go into the north side.” 

Some of the features in Farakh’s architectural plans included a front entrance canopy, shielded gooseneck-type light fixtures for illumination, externally illuminated wood-type signs, storefront framing with 1-inch insulated and tempered glass with a dark bronze finish, and dry stack cultured stone. The architectural plan featured at least 10 good-sized windows on the first floor.

There were 25 attendees at Tuesday’s meeting, Neal said, including councilman Mike Loguercio.

“It’s privately owned, zoned J2,” said Loguercio in a phone call. (J Business 2 district refers to a commercial zone primarily intended for medium-scale businesses. The proposed use is for commercial/retail.)

“The owner is looking to develop it as one of the options. He did file a site plan a few months ago and has to go before the Zoning Board of Appeals first, and then we can take a look at it with the community,” Loguercio said. “At that time, we can decide what’s the best fit for that location. I’m looking to do what’s best for the community and the owner of the property.”

Fred Combs, executive director of the Bellport Hagerman East Patchogue Alliance, who attended, offered their building for those looking to utilize job applications and resumes in anticipation of the future project.

Also at the meeting was Legis. Dominick Thorne. “Montauk Highway is a county road, so I wanted to know what they wanted there.

“We’re trying to move buses and are thinking of making a transportation hub by the LIRR, so that it would be in a walkable area to their homes, like a transfer point for buses. Some from Patchogue go to Bellport,” he said, “and vice versa.”

Crawford pointed out one time, when she needed a ride to Patchogue, Farakh pitched in and personally drove her.

Thorne said the transfer point would be close to the railroad on Station Road. “A little north, a little south, where we have some land, and also in the parking area,” he said. “We would have to work with the county, the MTA, and our town partners to make it better in that neighborhood.”

Thorne said there was enough room for the hub, as well as land for sewers to help revitalize the area.

“One of the things needed for that area is local medical access, transportation and jobs,” Thorne said. “I want to know what the GBC’s vision is for the neighborhood is. Also, what’s needed in police protection and making the neighborhood safe for everyone.” He also mentioned the possibility of  calming barriers on Montauk Highway “to give it a neighborhood vibe and crosswalks.”

There was also a presentation for a Muslim Cemetery on Beaver Dam Road. Seven representatives of the Muslim community were in attendance, Neal said, and about 14 acres are in the process of being purchased there. “One already joined our coalition,” she said.