Insignia Owner: 'This is Not a Nightclub'

Insignia owner Anthony Scotto told members of Smithtown's Board of Zoning Appeals that his posh new restaurant, Insignia Steakhouse, is not a club amid complaints from nearby residents that noise and parking that is encroaching on their homes is disrupting their lives.

According to Newsday, a half-dozen residents attended the BZA meeting to complain about Insignia's atmosphere, claiming the loud music and headlights from the cars in the parking lot are keeping their children awake. The owners, however, denied that.

From Newsday:

Insignia's owner, Anthony Scotto, and his attorney said they conducted a study that showed the restaurant does not generate excessive noise. If neighbors hear music late at night, Scotto said, "It can't be from Insignia," which closes no later than 11 p.m.

Much of the outrage has stemmed from a makeshift gravel parking lot Insignia illegally installed behind the restaurant.

The Scottos have already received a summons for . The town had stipulated that owners Scotto Brothers leave a 100-foot gap, 50 feet of buffer and 50 feet of easement, between the restaurant and neighboring residential properties when approving the building plans.

However, Insignia’s owners have filed an application for an area variance to expand the parking lot. The application will go before the Smithtown town board at 7 p.m. on March 22 at the Eugene Cannataro Senior Citizen Center.