Northport officials say they are addressing fish market complaints

Renovation to the Northport Fish and Lobster Company is upsetting neighbors, but village officials say they are "staying on top" of the complaints.

Northport Mayor Damon McMullen said there were some problems with the work that owner Eric Gusew and his contractor were doing, including operating without an employee bathroom, but the issues have been addressed and Gusew is working to come into compliance.

"There has been a struggle to keep them in line, but we are watching them," McMullen said. "We’re practically there every day, 7 a.m. on a Sunday morning I get calls and I go over there. We’re staying on top it."

Gusew has been ticketed multiple times over the past four months for alleged code violations, and has a scheduled court date in April.

Gusew said he’s owned the business for about 35 years and just now has had the money to renovate the store, which fronts Route 25A — also known as Fort Salonga Road in that section — with its back to residential Cherry Street.

"The neighbors have complained for years for the way the back of the store looks," Gusew said. "But it’s on a commercial property and it’s a business that’s been there before they were; it’s been a fish market since the early 1960s."

He said over the years he’s done some cosmetic upgrades, including putting up a fence, but renovation work began on the store last May. Emptying out decades of junk from the building's attic began to accumulate on the property.

Village officials said they discovered work being done without a permit on Oct. 14, 2020, and a stop-work order was issued.

Gusew admitted his contractor did build beyond what was approved in his permit but also said he did not think he needed permits for certain projects, including the expansion of a structure to house lobster tanks, a walk-in freezer and an ice machine cover on the top of the building.

"They all had been there, so I thought they were grandfathered in," Gusew said. "But we did not follow the proper channels to make the lobster room bigger."

Violations were also issued between November 2020 and Feb. 9 on charges including work outside of permit scope, construction of attached addition, exposed wiring-electrical panel , and gas furnace and electric installed without permits.

Gusew was issued an appearance ticket by village officials on Feb. 19 and has a scheduled village court date on April 5.

McMullen said the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets, which oversees fish markets, was called in to assess the work at the store six times between Oct. 15, 2020 and Feb. 8. The agency issued at least one violation, village officials said, for "C" level deficiencies.

Joe Sabia, whose auto mechanic store is the commercial neighbor immediately to the west of the fish market, said the store is an eyesore.

"It’s a disgrace the way the property is kept," said Sabia, who is a longtime critic of the village board and has run unsuccessfully for mayor.

Gusew said he’s sorry his neighbors are upset, but hopes they will have patience as he tries to remedy the situation.

"The only reason why we’re doing all this work is not only to make our customers happy, but the neighbors, too," he said.