Community Corner

What Our Readers Think: Is Insignia A Good Neighbor?

A round-up of reader comments on whether or not Insignia restaurant is a good neighbor or not given due to issues with noise and parking.

On Thursday, Patch posted an article about residents concerns about Insignia Steakhouse's illegal gravel parking lot creating noise and quality-of-life issues. The restaurant's owner attend a Smithtown Board of Zoning appeals meeting to defend his restaurant against complaints. 

Patch readers had a lot to say about the show, negative and positive. The following is a round-up of what our readers had to say. Feel free to add to the conversation by posting a comment below.

From the enraged: 

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said, "They agreed to 100 feet! Now they must be made to abide by it. The circumstances of the initial approval have not changed! The law must be applied equally and fairly to all! Let's keep the 1% from becoming the 0.1% at everyone else's expense!"

To those who defended the restaurant: 

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said, "You complain about a little bit of noise? Live with an eyesore then like all of the other crap in Smithtown. Here they built sonething nice and you complain. 

To those complaining about noise: 

A said, "Scotto said, "It can't be from Insignia," which closes no later than 11 p.m. Mr. Scotto, not everyone is in the restaurant business which would mean 11PM is way after bedtime for many." 

To those trying to set the record straight:

said, "Bravo Jason. These people moved next to a commercially zoned space. Move if you don't like it. I have been to Insignia three times for dinner. Certainly not a nightclub by any means." 

To history lessons: 

said, "That's true, When I moved here in 1978 both (Eastern) sides of 347 at Mt. Pleasant belonged to the Yellow Top Farms owners and the land was actively farmed. The zoning change came later. So, some or all of the complainants have reason to be angry."

said, "Can we verify when the zoning change made the corners of 347 and Mount Pleasant commercial properties? According to commentary on some of the Historical Photo articles Giunta's was originally a Finest, and from personal experience I recall the Yellow Top Farm Stand which I can only presume dated back to the farms existence and was a commercial use, and of course Boulder Creek which predated Insignia, though I'm not aware of anything predating Boulder Creek."


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