Biz owners plan to put distance between Bayville clam bar, marina services

The owners of the clam bar and marina just off the Bayville bridge plan to consolidate the boat servicing operations and install benches and picnic tables so people can relax on the waterfront.

"Our vision is that in the season when the restaurant is open … when people are waiting for a table or something along those lines, we have some lovely benches and some open areas down there," said Genevieve Relyea, chief financial officer of Creekview Group Inc., an umbrella group that owns the Bridge Marina. "Go enjoy the view. We’ll call or text you when your table’s ready."

Relyea said they don’t plan to expand the restaurant, just relocate the servicing structures to open up that part of the property. Those existing structures are "a bit of an eyesore if you’re coming and going over the bridge," she said.

The owners’ original idea was to move a series of structures near the clam bar to an adjacent property, but the time-consuming process of rezoning or getting a variance for the new use convinced them to opt for Plan B. The adjacent property on Ludlam Avenue used to be part of Frank M. Flower & Sons shellfish hatchery, owned by the Relyea family. Those operations have shut down, and several members of the Relyea family purchased the marina and associated businesses under the umbrella of Creekview Group.

Last year the group completed the purchase of the businesses at the marina, which operates on village-owned property under a 30-year lease, Relyea said. The marina handles boat servicing in two separate areas on the village-owned property. Consolidating all the servicing onto the former hatchery property was going to require either a change of zoning or a variance.

Last month the company’s lawyer, Philip Butler of Farrell Fritz PC’s Hauppauge office, told the Bayville village trustees that their preference was to rezone the property and get everything in place for this year’s boating season. But Village Attorney Peter Weiler said during a Jan. 24 meeting that rezoning was not something that could be done quickly.

"One reason a rezoning gets to be a little more complicated to some degree is that … your property is in the residential district," Weiler said during the meeting. "Changing a zone usually requires a bit of planning … to ensure that it is compatible with the master plan."

The former hatchery property, though zoned residential, has a variance for use in aquaculture. It’s now in a transitional phase of being used for office space and storage, Relyea said. She added that the company still wants to rezone the former hatchery property but that the best solution to consolidating the boat service operations is to move it within the village-owned property, which won’t require a rezoning or a variance.

Relyea said although the original "most optimal plan" can’t be implemented right now, the second plan will still meet their needs "and respect the local residents and will still be functional for us just from a layout standpoint."

"Obviously our customers are going to benefit from an improved view, but so are all the residents," Relyea said.