Town Considers Plan to Revive Mega Pet Site

Plans are underway to bring new life to the old  at 196 Route 46 West. The  heard an application at its Wednesday meeting that would, if approved, allow an urgent care medical center to fill the site, as the first phase in a three-step redevelopment plan.

The property containing Mega Pet includes two other buildings: the Concentra Urgent Care at 200 Route 46 and another building behind Mega Pet that once owned an Asian food market. The entire site is owned by Rockaway-based developer Ron Laroy, who owns many Route 46 corridor properties.

Under phase one of Laroy's three-step plan, Mega Pet would be razed and a new one-story building erected. Concentra would move its operations to the new building. The other two buildings, in other steps of the plan, would be redone and made available for new commercial tenants.

Because of other properties adjacent to Laroy's land, the developer will need the ZBA to approve separate numerous site variances for each of the proposed project's three phases, which attorney Robert Garofalo said would be presented individually to the board.

Robert Campbell, a builder in his own right and an official with , attended the meeting to hear about Laroy's plans. Campbell owns and lives in a residence to the rear of Mega Pet and told Patch he has personal concerns regarding the application.

"Speaking for the department, Concentra is very, very good. They do all the physicals for the fire department," he said. "We want the area cleaned up, but this is going to bring more traffic and parking problems. And I want to build two residential properties on the lots I own behind it. If they build monstrosities with HVAC units on the roof and all, how's that going to help me?"

Campbell said he is open to Laroy buying his land.

"If he buys it, he can do what he wants and won't need zoning variances," he said.

Questions to Laroy went unanswered.

The matter is scheduled to appear on the agenda for the ZBA's July 19 meeting, at which time the body will hear more testimony and, perhaps, obtain answers to lingering questions.